A Deal With A God
by EmeraldDragon1
Summary: Michael is the reigning champion of five regions and the savior of six, but even he cannot escape the ravages of time. When he dies, his pokemon all mourn for him. Touched by this, Arceus retrieves Michael's soul and promises a return to life if he becomes his knight.
1. Ch 1: A Bitter Pill To Swallow

**Alright, guys, I have another idea for a one-shot! Now, I'm not opposed to this becoming a full-on story, but I'll only do it if you ask. So, with that in mind, let's get started!**

As he lay in his bed with his Gardevoir kneeling next to him, he thought back on his life.

Michael was originally from the Orre region, and he was the one to defeat Cipher when they reared their ugly heads. They had proven to be quite the challenge, but he was a match for them all. He even managed to defeat their boss, Greevil, and save the world from his maniacal plans to overthrow the world. Afterward, Michael had been interested in traveling the world he had just saved. So he traveled first to the Kanto region, where he took up a new alias, simply calling himself Red.

Not long after he started, though, he came across another evil syndicate. And since he had left his original pokemon behind so he could fairly start anew, he was left to struggle to defeat them. He persevered, though, and within less than a year, he defeated the boss of this group that called themselves Team Rocket, and forced the ex-boss to break up the syndicate. It turned out they had been multi-regional, spreading to the Johto region, too. He had checked there to make sure the area was safe, and when he confirmed it, he decided to take on the Elite Four challenge. He beat them all with his trusted partners and became the champion of the region after defeating the current champion, who turned out to be his rival. In less than a year, he was off to another region, another challenge.

Next Michael took on the Hoenn region, becoming Brendan. This region was his particular favorite as the new pokemon were intensely interesting to him. But at the same time the Hoenn region was the most difficult challenge yet as he had to face off against not one, but two criminal syndicates, one being focused on expanding the land, the other obsessed with spreading the seas, and both being bitter rivals to the end. It was truly frustrating having to deal with them both, and they had nearly succeeded with their crazy ideas, waking both the legendaries their plans centered around. Fortunately, the reigning champion had helped and told him of the only being who could control the two, the legendary King of the Skies, Rayquaza.

He had traveled to his home and alerted him of the immediate peril. The dragon had rushed off to put the two destructive forces back in their place. With the world back to a sense of normalcy, the two syndicates realized the errors of their ways and swore off their demented plans. Michael, aka Brendan, had then challenged the Elite Four and the Champion of the Hoenn region, and even though he had saved the world, they did not go easy on him, which suited him just fine. He had always loved to be challenged anyway.

Once he finished Hoenn, he heard of a land called Sinnoh. Interested, he packed his things and sailed away to a new land for him, thinking he could catch a break there. As it turned out, there was yet another group bent on domination, but of a new sort. The leader of this group, Team Galactic, wanted no less than _universal_ domination, even taking it so far as to want to destroy the universe and create a new one in his image! Needless to say, Michael, now Lucas, couldn't let this slide. So as he went along, making friends on the way, he took up arms against Galactic, with the help of the champion of the region, a rather attractive woman named Cynthia, destroyed the elusive team. Of course, the credit for the team's breakup really went to the Legendary Giratina, lord of the Underworld, or the Distortion World, as it were, but he had thanked Michael for his help. Then Cynthia invited him and his team to challenge the Elite Four, which he gladly did and won. Afterward, though, he was stuck for a while. He thought back to his adventures and decided to hang out back in Orre for a while and revisit his home.

While he did, he caught wind of a slight reoccurrence of Cipher, but he had no trouble crushing it down. Once he was finished with that, he was told of one more region out there, one called Unova, one filled with brand new pokemon and new opportunities. He couldn't resist, so he took a plane within the week to this new region, excitement building.

When he arrived and was asked his name, he took a leaf from an old book and chose a simple name; Black. He quickly became friends with two charming people, Cheren and Bianca, and together they set out to become masters of pokemon. Michael (Black) smirked to himself, thinking he had the advantage over the two novices, but decided to be sporting about it anyway.

As it tended to happen, yet one more group arose to cause trouble. This one called itself Team Plasma, but it had ideals that were completely foreign to Michael (Black). This one called for the _liberation _of pokemon. As far as Black could tell, they weren't evil. He also met up with their king (another concept foreign to him) who simply called himself N. How lazy. Nevertheless, N didn't seem evil at all. To the contrary, he was adamant about the rights of pokemon, but he seemed a bit socially awkward. He was a strange character that Black decided to keep an eye on. Over time, it became apparent what Team Plasma's true goal was; the actual leader, Ghetsis, planned to kidnap all the liberated pokemon and use them to dominate the world. N was simply used as his mouthpiece, and when he discovered this, was horrified by his "father". Black used all his power to put an end to the plots that Ghetsis had devised, and in the end he prevailed. Satisfied with his success, he said farewell to N who left to find himself better along with his new friend, Zekrom. Black truly did wish him well, and hoped they could meet again someday.

Then he took on the ever present challenge of the Elite Four, and as he had before, he won the battles and became the reigning champion of five regions and the savior of six. He was quite proud of himself, to say the least, and he was contacted not long after by the highly esteemed Professor Oak. He had personally asked him to complete the National Pokedex, which Michael, being Michael again, was only too happy to comply with. It had taken the better part of thirty years, a lot of blood, sweat and migraines to do it, but he managed to finish the Pokedex, finding some pokemon that Oak hadn't even dreamed of. Needless to say, Oak was very pleased with him.

Without any more regions to clear, Michael returned to the Orre region, his true home, and lived out his life along with his pokemon. He had trained them all to be their strongest and loved them all to the best of his ability. But even though he could escape the clutches of all the villains in the world, he could not avoid the ravages of time. It was his time to go, he could feel it. But even though he had explained this to all his pokemon, they refused to let him go without a fight, which had amused him while it broke his heart. He did not want to leave them, and had offered to release them all so they could live their lives as freely as they wished, but they had all refused, clutching to their pokeballs like lifelines, as though they could not stand the thought of being without one lasting reminder of their kind, loving master who cared for and cherished all of them. It was to the point that they didn't even squabble over whom he liked the best; they knew they had been _all_ loved equally.

As it was now, Michael could feel his strength ebbing away, and he spoke to the Gardevoir next to him.

"Rose…"

"_Yes, Master?" _she asked him, her mental voice lined with sadness of an extreme kind. Michael chuckled and said

"How many times do I have to tell you all not to call me Master? Just my name will suffice, understand?"

"_Yes… Michael. What is it?"_

"I… want you… to tell… the rest of them… that I love them all dearly… and to take care… goodbye… Rose…" And with that, Michael took his last breath, and his eyes closed with finality. His grip on Rose went limp, and as the tears spilled from her eyes, she cried out

"No, Master! Master!" Then she flopped on the bed and wailed, her cries heard by the others dutifully waiting outside, and when they heard her, they began to wail as well, crying out together to Arceus to spare his soul, to treat him well lest the deity face their combined wrath.

Up in the Hall of Origin, Arceus watched over the scene, and he was filled with awe. Never before had he seen any large group of pokemon mourn the passing of their trainer. Yes, there were sad ones, but many more accepted their trainer's fate and moved on, and there were still some who were happy to be freed from their fetters. But this group… this group was different. He smiled at their threats, knowing they could never beat him, but touched that they would all simultaneously threaten him.

And yet, he could not help but feel sympathy for them, as he had watched the progression of Michael's life, how he had challenged each region, beaten every evil that showed up on his doorstep, and cared deeply and lovingly for each and every single one of his pokemon.

Then his features hardened. He would answer the pleas, he would respond to the calls. He called upon Giratina, the master of darkness and death. A portal opened up on the other side of the table he was standing at, and the Renegade Pokemon exited, glowing white for a moment, then fading into his altered form. He mockingly bowed to Arceus, hating him for reasons even he didn't know.

"Lord Arceus…" he said condescendingly. Arceus' frown didn't fade as he said

"Giratina, I want you to hand over the soul of Michael to me, the one who recently passed." Giratina scowled and said

"You shall have to be more specific than that, there are plenty of Michaels who have recently passed. And anyway, why should I? You know as well as I that when someone dies, they belong to me. That was your decree, and I am hardly one to break rules, now am I?" Arceus scowled and said

"I am not in the mood for your games, shade. Look at the scene before you. These pokemon all call for their trainer, even going so far as to threaten my well-being if I mistreat him. Does this scene not touch your heart?" Giratina laughed at him derisively and said

"Thanks to you throwing me into that cursed wasteland, I have no heart at all. I have listened to the pleas and cries of countless thousands crying for their pokemon, trainers and loved ones for over five millennia! This scene is nothing in my eyes but a big disaster and a waste of time. And speaking of wasting time, are you finished wasting mine? I have better things to do than listen to your idle speculation and weakness for those beneath you."

Arceus was about ready to blow the ghostly dragon back into the marble of his glorious home, but he decided to try one last thing before acting on that impulse.

"What do you want?" Arceus asked him. Giratina's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he replied

"What do you mean?" Arceus took a deep breath and repeated

"What do I have to give you to make you release the soul I want to my possession?" Giratina's eyes now widened in mock shock as he hissed

"So now the Almighty Creator has to bribe the one he created to hold the souls he doesn't have the heart to handle himself. Forgive me if I don't jump at the opportunity this presents me." Arceus had reached his breaking point, but instead of exploding, he said quietly but threateningly

"You can accept my offer and gain something in return, or you can experience your own demise here and now. I may be the Giver of Life, but that doesn't mean I cannot take it as well. What will it be, shade?" Giratina's eyes narrowed in hatred now, and he hissed

"So, first you bribe me, then you threaten me. Very well, I wish to be able to travel outside of my realm every now and again." Raising his eyebrows, Arceus asked

"For what reason, may I ask?" Giratina scoffed and said

"I may be the God of Death, but even I like to get a bit of fresh air now and then. Do we have a deal?" Arceus narrowed his eyes and said

"Very well, I shall grant your request, but be warned; if you overstep your bounds again, I will permanently seal you in that cursed dimension for the rest of your existence. Do we have an understanding?" Giratina mocked him by bowing again and saying

"Of course, Almighty Creator." He turned and opened the portal and reached a ghostly bat-like wing inside, relying on the dimension to transform it. Then he stretched it out and searched for a specific soul. When he found it, he grabbed hold of it gently even though it squirmed, and dragged it back to the portal. When his wing emerged and transformed back, he held Michael's soul in the crook of his wing, and he threw it over to Arceus, who deftly caught him with his power. Then he looked up to the Shade Dragon and said

"Thank you." Giratina nodded and left, saying

"Do not back out on your end of the bargain, Arceus. It might take me many more centuries, but if you do, I will personally hunt you down and drag you with me and show you the true meaning of Hell." Then the ghostly dragon was gone and Arceus peered at Michael's soul, who was beginning to rouse.

"Where am I?" he asked timidly. Arceus gently set him on the polished marble floor of the Hall and told him

"You are in the Hall of Origin, my child." Michael frowned and said

"Shouldn't I be in the Underworld? Isn't that where all souls go, whether good or bad?" Arceus nodded and said

"This would be the case, but I demanded that your soul be placed in my possession."

"Why would you do that, Lord Arceus? Why am I of any significance to you?" Arceus beamed at him and pointed to the scene that was still laid out before him. Michael looked, and once he understood what he was seeing, tears sprang to his eyes without his caring.

"You truly care for your pokemon, don't you?" Arceus asked Michael.

"No," Michael responded, "I care for my _friends_. They have stuck through all the good and bad times with me, never wavering in their loyalty. They are far more than pokemon to me." Arceus allowed a bright glow to surround him, showcasing his pride.

"That was the answer I hoped to hear. I have a proposition for you, Michael." Michael's eyes widened in shock, wondering what he could possibly mean.

"In all my years of existence, I have never seen any group of pokemon this large all demand the same thing simultaneously, threatening my well-being if you were mistreated. I must admit, I am deeply touched by this. So, I offer you the chance to return to life and rejoin your friends. In return, you shall become my vassal and travel throughout the lands protecting those that need help. Where there is a cry of despair you shall be there to answer the call. Should you accept, I will grant you everlasting life, as well as a special bag where you may store your pokemon without arousing suspicion from authorities about your continued PC storage account. They will be sure to notice your account name not being cancelled and become suspicious. What is your answer?"

Michael could only stare in shock at what Arceus had just proposed to him. He looked at the floor and thought hard. He could return to his friends, and stay with them for many more years to come. But it seemed so… wrong at the same time. He was a mere mortal, he wasn't supposed to live that long. Still, he could not pass up the opportunity to help whomever he could. That was the main reason he had first fought back against Cipher; Professor Krane had needed help, and he was there to answer the call. Making his decision, he looked Arceus in the face and said

"I accept." Arceus grinned and glowed again. Then he motioned for Michael to kneel, which he did. Arceus touched Michael on the top of his head and restored his youth. He was now twenty-one again, and looked rather impressive at that age. He was of medium- to tall stature, with long red hair that was spiked up, complimented by sea-green eyes and a kind face. Michael stood and Arceus told him

"I have a special outfit for you to wear while you remain my vassal. I will return you to your friends now, and I will explain the situation to them while you change. Do you understand?"

Michael nodded and his eyes filled with determination and excitement as Arceus touched his hoof to the top of his head, then they both flew down to the earth directly at the place he had called home for a long while. Arceus appeared as his soul reconnected with his body, causing it to glow brightly, making Rose, who was still crying, to jump back in surprise and slam into Arceus. She whirled around and fired a Psychic, but Arceus deflected it with no trouble. Rose's eyes widened when she saw who she attacked, then she bowed reverently and begged for forgiveness. Arceus smiled and told her

"Come, young one, while Michael completes his transformation. I have matters to explain to you and your companions, which I believe will make you all happy."

Rose stared at him in bewilderment but allowed the deity to steer her out the doorway. She glanced back at Michael's body and could have sworn she saw the color returning to his white hair and face. Then she was outside with her fellows, who were gawping at the deity who had graced them with his presence. They all threw themselves at the ground before him, and he said to them all

"Rise. I heard your wails from the heavens, as well as your threats, and I have come to a decision. I have spared Michael's life, and in return he shall become my vassal to protect those throughout the lands. You will all help him in this endeavor, and you shall remain together for as long as he consents to remain my vassal. Do you all understand?"

After Arceus finished, added with a shocked silence, all the pokemon gathered before him split the air with their screams and shouts of approval and joy. Arceus smiled again, feeling more at ease than he had in a long while. Then he felt Michael's presence behind him, and he moved aside to reveal his new vassal in all his glory. The outfit he had chosen for him complimented his looks very well; he was wearing his red hair up in its spiky fashion, and he wore a royal blue frock coat, keeping the front open to reveal a blood-red shirt with his new sigil on it, the one that signified his allegiance. He wore dark blue jeans and black shoes, and finished with goggles that hung around his neck. He appeared bright and cheerful, and his pokemon started jumping for joy at the sight of their beloved trainer. He descended the steps and received the attentions of all his friends. When they finished, Michael turned to Arceus and said

"We are all proud to serve you, Lord Arceus. How do we begin?" Arceus smiled and said

"You must return all your pokemon and place their pokeballs in the special pack I have provided for you, then you must board one of your flying types and roam around the land, searching for any trouble that arises. If anything comes to my attention, I will inform you and you must travel there and resolve it."

Nodding, Michael returned all his pokemon, down to the last two, his Flygon and Gardevoir, Rose. As he held up her pokeball, she rushed over and hugged him tightly, saying

"_It's good to have you back, Michael."_ Hugging her back, Michael responded

"It's good to be back." Then he returned her and faced his Flygon, Alfred, asking

"Ready to get started, old friend?" Alfred nodded and lay on his stomach so Michael could climb aboard his back, and when he felt Michael's weight settle, he spread his wings and jumped high into the sky, and Michael thought about all the good he knew he could spread across the world.

**Whoo, that was one long damn fic! Still, I hope you all appreciate it. My favorite scene has to be the battle of wills I put in between Giratina and Arceus. If anyone wants me to continue this as an actual story, please let me know immediately.**


	2. Ch 2: Starting Out

**Okay, so I have received two reviews within the first hour that this was posted, both requesting continuation, and since I wanted to continue it anyway, I am rather eager to please. So, a little more information will be coming out in this chapter, but I don't plan for the next chapters to be nearly as long as the first one was. I swear, before I am even halfway finished with this site, I'll have had two cases of Carpal Tunnel. But it's all worth it if you guys will be satisfied with my work. So, here we go!**

As Alfred flew through the sky, Michael wondered at his new task. He realized that it would be a very difficult one, but one that was surely rewarding in its own way. Of course, being together with his pokemon was reward enough for him, but he still imagined what new adventures lay awaiting him.

After half of the day had passed, Michael realized he had no idea where they were supposed to go. Arceus told him that he simply needed to roam the lands and search for trouble. Of course, in Michael's experience, trouble often found _him_. He chuckled at the thought, and Alfred turned his head and asked

"What's so funny Master?" Michael's jaw dropped. Did Alfred just speak to him in English?

"Alfred, did you just speak to me in English?" Alfred shook his head and replied

"No, Master, I'm speaking the same way I have been since before you even found me. Maybe you can just understand me better now, since you're Arceus' vassal and all." Michael just nodded dumbly, thinking it was strange to be carrying on a conversation with a pokemon that wasn't Psychic. He resolved to speak to Arceus about this when they landed for the night.

**Several hours later…**

When night finally arrived, Alfred landed in an open field of beautiful flowers, and Michael inhaled the scent, his mind put to ease on the matter he wanted to discuss. It was still at the forefront of his mind, but it no longer caused him worry. He had held a magnificent conversation with Alfred once he got over his shock, and he wondered if he would be able to communicate with his other pokemon. Before experimenting, however, he decided to speak with his new dispatcher.

"Arceus, answer my call!"

"Yes?" a voice said behind him. Michael whirled around and faced his master, then bowed because he felt it appropriate. Arceus told him

"There is no need for you to bow every time I appear to you. I feel that it will just waste time. Come, ask me your questions, I know you have at least one or two." Michael smiled and rose up, facing him and saying

"Indeed I do. I have been holding a conversation, an _actual _conversation, with my Flygon. Care to explain?" Arceus chuckled and responded

"What, you didn't know that the ability to communicate with pokemon came with your new position?" At Michael's dumbfounded expression he started laughing loudly.

"Evidently not!" When he stopped laughing, which was actually quite a while, he stood straight and tall and said proudly

"Yes, as my new vassal, you have the ability to speak directly with pokemon. You will be able to use this to get accurate accounts from pokemon who may be suffering from abusive trainers, or from any child who has been violently separated from their friends and families. I have a few more gifts for you as well."

Michael looked up, and he wasn't necessarily excited about the prospect of gifts; he wasn't a child, after all. But he _was_ excited about the role he had chosen, and all that it might entail. The Alpha Pokemon summoned a glow in front of him, and when it dissipated it revealed two items. The first was a strange badge-looking item. The second was a magnificent silver and white sword. Michael gasped at it, and Arceus smiled. He sent the badge over to him first and began to speak.

"This is the official badge you will be using under my name. It has your official sigil, my mark, on it, which matches the mark on your shirt." Michael studied the mark on the badge and glanced down at the front of his shirt; they were identical, just as Arceus had stated.

"That badge has a few, shall we say, 'special features'. The first is mostly what it represents; the fact that you are now my Knight. It also has the handy ability of nullifying the bond between a pokemon and its trainer." Michael's head jerked up at this, and Arceus could see the question forming on his lips.

"No, this is a method designed to save any pokemon who suffers from an abusive trainer. All you must do is focus on the pokemon you wish to release, then hold up the badge. The pokeball will break, releasing the victim pokemon, and allowing you enough time to save it. You will not use this power for any other reason than to liberate a pokemon who is suffering from their current trainer. If you abuse this power, I will strip you of your Knighthood and you will die. Do you understand?"

Michael nodded, relieved. It sounded much like when he was liberating shadow pokemon from Cipher, so he was accustomed to the idea.

"It will also assert your authority if you should come across any other of the Legends during your travels. I have no doubt they will be angered by your presence within their realms, but it is inevitable that you will meet up with them. This badge will protect you from their wrath, since they know and understand my sigil. They will understand that you are operating under my command, and they will not oppose me. Well, at least, not _all _of them."

"Exactly what do you mean by that?" Michael asked worried about his potential safety.

"I will advise you to stay away from Giratina. I have no doubt in my mind he is mad that I swiped you from his grasp, despite that you saved his world from utter annihilation. And Rayquaza is very territorial, to the point where he doesn't differentiate friend from foe." Arceus hesitated for a moment, then added

"I will say this now; if you value your sanity, do not approach Mew." Michael cocked his head in confusion and asked

"Why?" Arceus chuckled nervously and responded

"Mew is the kind of… being that you want to keep any and all things sugar or caffeine related away from. I remember one day at a meeting, we don't know _how_, but she managed to find the coffee, right next to the sugar." Arceus shuddered.

"That day, chaos reigned supreme. She was flying around so fast, nothing could stop her. If there was a legend in her way, they quickly became acquainted with the floor; if there was a _wall _in her way, there was a new place for a door. It took many hours for the rush to wear off, and even then she was _still_ hyper. I hope we never see a reoccurrence of that day, or it will mean the apocalypse." Michael burst out laughing at his tale, and when his mirth was spent, he grinned at Arceus and asked

"Is there anyone else I should watch out for?" Arceus pondered for a moment, then said

"This would be a conversation best left for another time. You won't be meeting with any other legends anytime soon, or at least, you shouldn't. I plan to introduce you at our next meeting, but that's not for another week. The badge I gave you also has the ability to create a portal directly there since you don't have a pokemon that could safely reach the heavens." Michael nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"The second gift I have for you is a new name. Perhaps it doesn't seem like much, but I assure you this name will hold great sway in the future." Michael nodded and asked

"What is my new name to be?" Arceus stood taller than before, if that was possible, and stated

"You shall go under the name Alpha. Again, I know it doesn't seem like much, but it represents me and gives credit to your position. Now, for your final gift…" and Arceus gently sent the sword in his direction and held it out in front of him until he grabbed it to inspect it. He admired the sheath, which was mostly white but had silver trim and many runes written in the same color. He studied the runes for a while, but they didn't make much sense to him, so he quickly focused his attention to the hilt. He tentatively reached a hand up and grabbed it, then looked at Arceus hesitantly. When he nodded, Alpha's worried look dissipated and he pulled the sword from the sheath without a sound.

The hilt itself was made from a stiff metal coated with soft rubber to make for a better grip. The pommel consisted of an opal gem that began to flash in varying colors, from red, blue, green, yellow, purple, white, black, gray, brown, and a few variants of the above colors, and even some combinations. And while the blade itself did not flash like the pommel, it was no less magnificent. Alpha could see the expert crafting of the sword maker, having flawlessly guided the metal into the incredible shape he saw before him.

He waved the sword around in front of him and was surprised by its balance and lightness, as if he and the sword had been destined together at birth but kept apart until now. He looked the blade up and down again before gently returning it to its sheath, then looked at Arceus with so many questions on his mind, but was unable to ask them.

"This is the blade that I had forged long ago by Heatran. As a master of fire and steel, it seemed appropriate, and I was not disappointed. The flashing pommel represents the various types that exist, water, fire, grass and so on. You can wield the power of each by concentrating on a certain type and willing the power to be unleashed. Go ahead, try it."

He stepped back to allow his Knight to get a better feel for the sword. Alpha stood there, dumbfounded yet again at this wealth of information. Then he drew the sword, and as he did, he decided to try a type that he felt wouldn't be so destructive, settling on water. As he made his decision, he saw that the pommel had shifted its color to a rich blue and remained that way. Then he took a swipe in the air and was surprised when a torrent of water rushed out of the blessed blade and splashed on the grass in front of him. Now he was glad he hadn't chosen fire. After this thought, the pommel changed color to a brilliant orange-red, but Alpha had put the blade away. Arceus stepped up and told him

"The power of the blade varies depending on you. It can either be very strong or limited in strength due to your will. Now you won't have to worry about getting matches to start your campfire at night." Arceus was joking with him, but Alpha was weighing the situation in his mind.

"Is it really safe to give me this kind of weapon? I mean, I'm honored to receive it, but it seems like it would be dangerous to fall into the wrong hands."

"And it would be," began Arceus "If that was possible. That blade has recognized you as its master and will not allow anyone else to draw it." Alpha's jaw fell open with amazement, then he closed it and exclaimed

"Wait a minute, are you telling me that you have just given me a blessed sword that no one else in the world can use?!" Arceus smirked and said

"That's exactly what I am saying. Even I could not draw from its power, regardless if I tried. That blade will work for you, and only for you. It is also a blade that has the power to sense Legends if they are coming toward you, and it will alert you to their presence. Then, if they prove hostile and don't respond to the badge, you will have a means of defending yourself. This will also work to strike fear into your enemies and embolden those who you save. As long as you wield it, people will know who you are and what you represent. Take the time tomorrow to experiment with your new power. For now, I will say that you can create a tent of rock with that sword, since you will also be able to manipulate the elements you control, so that will be one problem off your back. Tomorrow I will have you train with the Musketeers to further hone your sword mastery. For now, sleep and process everything I have told you. You will need your rest for the journey ahead of you. When the meeting comes, I will summon you. You will use the badge to come to the Hall of Origin, and everything will roll on from there. Sweet dreams."

And with that, the Alpha Pokemon disappeared. Alpha released a shaky, pent-up breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Then he drew the sword again after securely attaching it to his belt which also held his pack for his pokemon and the badge that would represent who he was now. Then he focused on the Rock type, and the stone's color shifted to a dull brown. He lifted the sword and pointed it at a random spot on the field. Suddenly two protrusions made entirely of rock slid out of the ground and slanted until they met at the top, creating a tent of sorts that would be plenty large enough for him.

Emboldened by his success, he crawled in and raised the sword again, sealing the back and front so he wouldn't be ambushed in his sleep but leaving enough space so the air could circulate. Then he unbuckled his sword and propped it up against the back of his rocky tent after making a pillow of grass and leaves. He found that his new coat worked as well as any blanket, so he quickly fell asleep in comfort, hardly able to wait for the morning to arrive so he could begin the first leg of his journey.

**Whoo! Crazy stuff, am I right? I had to admit, the idea of the blessed sword didn't come to me until about halfway through, and I just said "Oh, f**k yes!". So, review me and let me know what you think!**


	3. Ch 3: The Musketeers

**Seven reviews before I even start the third chapter. That feels pretty good right now. So, I hope you all will like this next chapter as much I'll enjoy writing it.**

When Michael woke up, he sat up quickly, confused. He was surrounded by four slabs of stone, he was covered by a strange coat, and lying behind him was the most beautiful sword he had ever seen. Then the flood of memories came rushing at him, and he took a deep breath and relaxed.

"_That's right, I'm not Michael anymore," _he thought to himself.

_"I'm Alpha now."_

Grinning, he grabbed his sword behind him and unsheathed the blessed blade. He concentrated on Rock again, and when the opal was finished shifting its color, he motioned the sword in a downward gesture, causing the slabs of rock that made up his tent to slide back into the earth. Then he stood fully and stretched his body, feeling remarkably relaxed. He picked up his new coat and slid it on, effectively blocking the chilly morning air. Then he buckled his sword onto his belt and started walking the slight stiffness out of his legs.

It had been many years since he slept on the ground, yet despite that he enjoyed it. He had always slept better on a firmer surface anyway, but the grass had provided a much needed cushion. The pillow he fabricated was also surprisingly effective. It certainly felt better than the last actual pillow he had. Or maybe that had been due to the fact that he was almost one hundred years old yesterday shortly before noon, then twenty-one again right after. Once his head started to ache, he decided not to put too much thought into it.

He walked around the forest searching for dead wood, but since it was the beginning of spring, he wasn't having much luck in his search. However, he managed to find a dead tree along the way that looked like it had been that way for several years. He rubbed his hand along the trunk, and after feeling the roughness on it, decided it would make good firewood. He reached into the pack on his right hip, slightly behind the buckle of his sword, and a strange image popped up in his mind. Frightened, he jerked his hand back out, and the image faded.

Curiosity piqued, he tentatively stuck his hand back into the pack and the image popped up again. After inspecting it for some time, he realized that the image operated in an identical manner to his old PC account. He grabbed onto a pokeball and a light appeared around the pokemon who he was holding. Emboldened by his discovery, he searched through until he came across the pokemon he was looking for, then grasped the pokeball firmly and drew it out of his pack. Then he threw the pokeball into the air, calling out

"I need your assistance!" The pokeball opened up and released a flash of bright white light, and when it dissipated it revealed one of his ancient pokemon, a Kabutops.

"Hello, Master. How are you feeling this morning?" he asked him. Frowning a little, Alpha told him

"Haven't I said, on multiple occasions, that I don't want any of you calling me Master? I told you all, I believe, to call me by my name." The Kabutops sported a wry smile on his face and crossed his scythes in front of his chest, saying

"Well, that would be much easier if you didn't go changing your name with every new region. First, when I met you, you were Red. Then you became Michael, then Brendan, then Lucas, and Black. So tell me, who are you this time?" This made Alpha laugh hard, knowing he was right. When he regained his sanity, he straightened up and wiped the tears that had appeared from laughing so hard, and replied

"My name is Alpha now, but I doubt it's going to change anytime soon. I have a new role now." Mitch, the Kabutops nodded and responded

"I know. Arceus told us everything yesterday before you emerged from the house, looking back to yourself as I remember you being, though slightly older, if I'm not mistaken." Alpha also nodded and replied

"Yeah, I guess Arceus thought that an adult would be easier to accept as a Knight as opposed to a ten-year old kid. But I don't mind. Anyway, to the matter at hand, I need your help with something." Mitch lowered his scythed arms and asked

"What do you need, Alpha?" Alpha smirked at the use of his new title and said

"I need you to cut up some these branches so I can make a decent fire. Can you help?" Mitch looked at the tree in front of him and smirked. Then he turned and said

"Of course." Without another word, he leaped up and began slicing dead branches like mad, swinging in what looked like an erratic fashion when truly it was very precise. Alpha smiled as he remembered teaching him that method, designed to confuse enemies but effectively finish the job. When Mitch finished, he jumped down from the tree and said

"There you are, one pile of fresh firewood." Alpha laughed again and held up his pokeball saying

"Thanks, old friend. Now take a good rest." The red beam shot out and connected to him and pulled him back inside the ball, which he returned to the pack on his side. He collected as many of the branches he could carry, then returned to the field. There he neatly set up a fire pit, then arranged the wood to last. Finally he drew his sword, and a little apprehensive, called forth the power of Fire. When the stone began to glow a brilliant orange and red, he focused on a small flame appearing on the wood.

A small tongue of fire shot out of the sword and caught onto the wood, and he quickly ended the flow of power before any more shot out. He relaxed his tense posture then and breathed a sigh of relief. At least his first attempt hadn't destroyed half the forest; he knew Arceus would be rather upset with him over that.

"Seems like your first try was a rather good success" a familiar voice said behind him. Upon turning, Alpha saw Arceus standing there, watching him.

"How long were you waiting there?"

"Shortly before you used the sword to summon fire. And don't worry, I would have stopped the fire before it caused any damage. Still, I'm impressed how you managed to handle its power so quickly. As a matter of interest, didn't the sword alert you to my presence? It should have done something of the sort." Alpha frowned and responded

"Well, it was vibrating a bit, but I put that mostly to my shivering since it's still pretty early." Arceus nodded knowingly and replied

"Well, now you know what to keep a watch on. Anyway, the purpose of my visit is more than watching you handle your power."

"You're here to deliver me to the Musketeers to begin my sword training, right?" Arceus dipped his head and responded

"In due time. For the moment, I'm here to give you a bit more information before you embark on your journey." Alpha smiled wryly and teased

"What, don't I know enough already? It's not like I don't have my whole… existence in front of me to learn, right?" Arceus grinned and said

"At least you can be humorous. That will serve you well when endearing yourself to your allies. No, I have some information that might put some worries you had earlier aside, as well as inform you further about my fellow legends." Alpha nodded and sat by his fire, motioning for Arceus to join him, who did. Once he was seated, he began.

"Earlier you were worried how you would be able to feed your pokemon since you now have so many with you. Allow me tell you now that the pack I gave you automatically feeds them so you do not have to bother with that task yourself. It will provide them with the necessary nutrition they require for their individual diets." Alpha breathed yet another sigh of relief, glad to have a solution to the problem he faced earlier.

"Now," Arceus continued, "about my fellow legends. We are many and powerful, but we have weaknesses of our own, as you should well know by now." Alpha said nothing but waited for Arceus to continue.

"First of all, you already know me. I am the Creator of the Universe, but I try not to brag about it, and all that exists in it. I am also known as the Giver of Life, and that happens to be one of my special talents. My counterpart, on the other hand, Giratina, has the power to take it. Long ago, he abused that power, and I created a dimension where the ever-increasing number of souls could reside, and banished him to that dimension. He was declared the God of Death and has remained that way ever since. My two children, Dialga and Palkia, came into existence shortly after Giratina did. I presented the concept of time to Dialga and let him work it how he saw fit. I was proud, to say the least, at what he accomplished. His sister, Palkia, was given control over dimensions. I expressed my desire for her to use this power to her best ability, and she created multiple universes, all next to each other but separated by a fine line that few can breach. She told me it was a sort of experiment, mostly to see if something would work or not, and I believed it to be an interesting idea, so I allowed it."

He gathered his thoughts and continued

"Almost a century later, I gave rise to Groudon and Kyogre, as well as Rayquaza. I tasked them with creating a world that the mortals could claim as their own, for they were in stasis at the time, prototypes at that. They accepted the task and created the world you know today. Groudon laid the foundation, Kyogre filled the planet with life-sustaining water, and Rayquaza blessed it with air. These acts alone drained their power to dangerous levels, so I told them to rest, and they went to their separate domains, taking place in the Hoenn region to do so. Then I released the pokemon and humans to the Earth, and for a time things were peaceful."

Arceus looked to make sure Alpha was paying attention, which was unnecessary since he couldn't tear his eyes away.

"What I failed to realize at the time, however, was that the creations I had sent forth were empty, devoid of feeling. Chastised by this, I created Darkrai, Cresselia, and the Lake Guardians, Uxie, Mespirit and Azelf. They went forth and blessed the beings with emotions, as well as willpower and knowledge. Darkrai and Cresselia were there to make people realize the balance of the world, comparing Dark with Light. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as I had hoped. People grew to hate Darkrai, but he continued his work anyway, so I am proud of him as well. Later I created Shaymin, meant to be the embodiment of gratitude. Mew had already been around for a while having given birth to all other pokemon first. Motherhood… was not an easy experience for her, but she handled it well. She was almost unbearable when a meteor struck the planet during its beginning and wiped out many of her children, but that is understandable. Giratina was having a field day about it, though, and I had to restrain Mew for quite a while from obliterating him, which was again understandable."

Seeing Alpha drinking in his words excitedly, he smiled and finished.

"You already know the legend of Reshiram and Zekrom, so I will not dabble there. I had seen the problems arising in the Unova region, mostly humans poaching pokemon, so I gave rise to the Musketeer Trio to protect them. They did their job and retreated to their various homes, but they meet regularly to train. In fact, they will be meeting shortly, so we must travel. If I remember correctly, they have a new member among them who might be able to understand you better. I advise you to remain respectful. They do not take too kindly to humans after their experiences with them. You shall train with them until the meeting, which you will attend, then return to your training. I want you to be fully prepared before I send you on an important mission."

Alpha nodded and stood, saying

"I understand." Arceus smiled and stood himself, then opened a portal that would lead them to their next destination. Alpha walked through and Arceus followed, proud of his knight thus far.

**Aww, yeah! Now things are really gonna start rollin' along! How did I do on this chapter? Please review after you read it, or even PM me. Now, I had one reader say he/she saw a problem with Arceus fitting through the door of Michael's house. I don't believe it really matters, but just to put that problem to rest, let's just say he phased through whatever he couldn't fit through, all right? Everyone have a nice day and reply soon!**


	4. Ch 4: Masters

**Well, Merry Christmas everyone! My gift to you is this chapter, and possibly another, too! So, when we left off, Arceus had given a brief history of creation to his knight, Alpha, and now they're traveling to the Unova region to meet with the Musketeers so Alpha can begin his training. Just a quick heads up; some of the information that I will be using for this chapter (and possibly the next) comes as a result of the latest pokemon movie, Kyurem Vs. the Sacred Swords (or something like that). Interesting thing, actually, before I saw that movie, I always considered Virizion male, but after I'm now convinced Virizion is female. Actually, I admit I like the idea, so if you don't, oh well. On with the show!**

When Alpha stepped through the portal, his head started spinning, and he grabbed it to right it. Then he felt solid ground beneath his feet again but was unprepared for it. He stumbled forward a little and heard Arceus' voice behind him.

"Yeah, the first time's a bit disorienting, isn't it?" Alpha nodded his head, then opened his eyes to inspect his surroundings. He saw that he was flanked by massive trees of differing varieties, and the numbers of which were astronomical. He turned back and forth, trying to pinpoint the location. The area felt familiar, but he couldn't figure out why.

"Where are we?" he asked Arceus.

"We are currently residing in Rumination Field, dwelling of Virizion. The Musketeers meet at each other's homes, and today's meeting is being held here. I have explained the situation to them, and while Cobalion isn't too excited about it, he has consented to train you, along with the other three, Virizion, Terrakion, and Keldeo."

Then there was the sound of rustling grass behind them, and Alpha whirled around, his hand reaching for his sword. When he saw the four quadrupedal but still indistinct shapes walking toward them, he quickly moved his hand away from the sword, hoping they hadn't noticed.

_"Quick reflexes, young one, but I advise you to be clearer about who you interpret as a friend or foe" _a cool female voice iterated in his mind. Alpha's eyes widened for a moment, then, feeling it appropriate, knelt on one knee and waited for them to approach.

_"Good day, Lord Arceus." _The god dipped his head and replied

"Good day to you as well, Cobalion. How do you all fare this morning?"

_"Well enough. And yourself?"_

"Very well, thank you. This is my knight, Alpha. The one I wish for you to train. Remember, he is still a novice, only a couple days in, and I don't want to see him looking abused when the meeting comes around. Am I understood?"

_"Perfectly" _answered the female voice. Alpha could see from the tops of his eyes (for his head was bent down as well), the image of four somewhat thin yet sturdy legs walking toward him. He strived to keep himself cool and collected, but was finding it difficult. The figure stopped directly in front of him and he could hear a masculine and intimidating voice.

_"Stand, young Knight, and look me in the eye."_ Alpha slowly stood and raised his head, and he was faced off by Cobalion, the leader of the Musketeers. He was mostly light blue but was also trimmed by yellow and black. Atop his head sat two antlers that were strangely curved and looked somewhat jagged. His most notable feature, however, were his eyes, which were intimidating even if he wasn't trying to be. His face was blank and unreadable. Alpha stared directly into his golden eyes, refusing to back down despite the fact this pokemon towered over him and could gut him easily. Then he backed away and said telepathically

_"This one has potential strength, but he requires work."_

"That's why I brought him to you. You did agree to train him, remember?" Arceus told him.

_"Just ever so slightly" _Cobalion responded. After a tense moment, Arceus broke the strain by saying

"Very well, then. I have matters that call for my attention, so I shall leave him in your hands. Train hard, Alpha, and make me proud." Alpha nodded and replied

"I will do my best, my liege." Without another word Arceus departed and left Alpha in the presence of the four pokemon swordsmen, one of which seeming to dislike him already, two being impassive, and the last appearing rather antsy. Alpha studied the other pokemon who were meant to train him to glean a little more information.

One was built in much the same way as Cobalion, but was a shade of green instead of blue. It also had two red-pink appendages on its neck, and its head was flattened out at the top, creating two sweeping horns that looked somewhat like wings on its head.

The other was far squatter than its two companions and colored a sort of beige, though leaning into a shade of orange. It had dark brown horns that, like Virizion's, swept to the side of its head, but they also curled forward and looked like they would be handy for carrying something on top.

The last horse-like pokemon was the oddest one yet. It was under half the size of its companions, and unlike the other three, only had one horn on its head, which appeared overlarge for it and plated in blue armored scales. It had two back-sweeping crests in the middle top of its head which appeared to encase its red mane that reached its back. On the right side of its mane, near the front, it had three feathers that were colored blue, green and tannish white-brown. It had blue fur that ran down the front of its chest and legs but didn't surround them.

_"Allow me to introduce my companions," _Cobalion stated formally.

_"This is Virizion," _he gestured to the green one.

_"This is Terrakion," _he motioned to the squat beige-orange one, who grinned widely.

_"And this is Keldeo, a recent addition to our force." _The one he motioned to, Keldeo, dipped its head in greeting, and Alpha was in awe over the scene before him. He bowed to them all and said

"It is an honor to meet you all." As he straightened, he grinned widely and said

"If only my friends and family could see me now!" Virizion shifted its position, and when it spoke, Alpha realized that _it _was a _she_.

_"Can't you simply show them your new position as you travel?"_ The grin was wiped off Alpha's face to be replaced by a look of sadness.

"No," he started sadly "I am not as young as I appear."

_"Whaddya mean?" _Terrakion asked him, sounding both masculine and confused. Alpha took a deep breath and explained.

"You see, two days ago, I was an old man dying of old age. My pokemon... my friends, were deeply sad about it, but they knew they could do nothing. When I passed on, they all cried for me and begged Arceus to... treat me well, lest they unleash their combined wrath on him." Keldeo looked shocked, Terrakion seemed dumbfounded, Virizion was wary, and Cobalion was disbelieving,

"Arceus saw this and was amazed by such a display of unanimous caring, so he demanded my soul from Giratina and proposed that I could return to my friends if I agreed to become his knight. I agreed, and so I have traveled to train under you per Arceus' wishes." Virizion questioned

_"But why would this affect your family? Why can you not show them the position you seem proud of?"_ Alpha met her gaze and said simply

"Because they are all dead." Virizion blinked and looked away a moment later. Keldeo stepped forward and asked softly

_"All of them?" _His voice and stature put in mind a child, still not having reached the peak of maturity yet. Tears began to form in Alpha's eyes, but he refused to let them see. He tightly shut his eyes, and replied

"Yes, all of them. My mother died almost twenty years ago, and my little sister..." Alpha found his throat tightening now and couldn't go on. A tear leaked out of his right eye, and he hastily turned to avoid persecution. Keldeo stepped forward again and Alpha knew he would try to make him continue, but Virizion intervened.

_"Enough. He clearly does not want to continue that conversation. Let him be, Keldeo."_ Alpha felt a measure of gratitude to the female sword wielder, and when he thought he had control of himself again, he turned and asked

"So, when do we start training?" Cobalion nodded and said

_"Follow Terrakion. He will start your training. Then you will join Virizion when she fetches you, followed by Keldeo, and you will finish with me. While we train you, I will not tolerate any of us being disrespected. Am I understood?"_ Alpha nodded, then walked toward Terrakion, who turned when Alpha reached him and began to walk into the forest. When Terrakion and Alpha were out of sight, Virizion turned to Cobalion and said

_"It seems he had a rough life toward the end."_ Cobalion stared ahead and replied

_"It doesn't matter. We shall not be swayed by sob stories, especially not from humans."_ Virizion looked at him with concern, then turned her head back in the direction the two had disappeared, thinking heavily.

**Okay, I'm doing this on a different computer, and it doesn't have the same functions as Microsoft Word, so I can't tell how many words I have on here (like hell I'll count them myself) so this chapter might be a bit shorter than previous chapters. I apologize if that's the case, but I plan to continue writing, so don't worry. Until next time, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's! **


	5. Ch 5: Masters, Pt 2

**Comin' out with another! So, Alpha will start his training with Terrakion. Wonder how it will go? If you didn't read it in the last chapter, some of the stuff I put here will be correlated to the movie, which I have no rights over.**

As Terrakion led the way, Alpha made an effort to clear his mind. He wanted to forget some of the things that had happened in his past, particularly his family. He had told himself he wouldn't cry over what happened to his little sister, Jovi. That had to be the hardest thing he had ever experienced, especially when-

He shook his head violently, clearing those thoughts out of his head where they didn't belong. Terrakion turned at the sound and questioned

_"Hey kid, you all right? You look like you got something botherin' you."_ Alpha shook his head again, but this time in answer to the question.

"No, I'm fine" said Alpha, but Terrakion wasn't convinced. However, he decided not to pursue the matter and instead said

_"Okay. Well, we're here."_ Alpha's head jolted up and he saw a wide river with a pleasant current that was filled with rocks and water bushes. Terrakion jumped over the water and landed on a large flat boulder and looked over his shoulder and shouted

_"Come on!" _Then he jumped from boulder to boulder until he was in the middle of the river, sitting safely on a large rock. Alpha stared apprehensively at the boulders in front of him, then took a deep breath and a running start before jumping as hard as he could to the closest rock, the one Terrakion had first jumped on.

The results were mixed. Alpha landed squarely on the rock but lost his footing when he tried to straighten, and wound up falling not too comfortably on the boulder, his sword's sheath banging against the rocky surface.

Terrakion burst out laughing at the sight, which humiliated Alpha, but he refused to give in. He shakily stood and eyed his next target. His next jump was more graceful than his first attempt, but he still stumbled a bit. Finally he reached Terrakion and stared at him, wondering what was next. A glint appeared in Terrakion's eyes and he said

_"Go ahead, take a load off. This exercise doesn't require you to be standing."_ Alpha started to sit down, positioning his sword so it rested comfortably behind him. When he was seated, Terrakion began to speak.

_"Each of us has something different to teach you, but you'll find out what the rest are later. For now, I'll be teaching you about concentration. When you're in battle, your concentration can be the difference between your life and your death. What's important to know is never to lose it."_

Alpha nodded, now engrossed in his teachings. He watched as Terrakion stared at the water, his gaze intense. Alpha did not know what he was waiting for, and he did not bother to ask because he knew this was a demonstration of perfect concentration. Terrakion's large head moved slowly to the water, and without any warning his horns jabbed into the water and he flipped his head up, shouting

_"Catch!"_

Alpha had no more time to do anything other than stick his arms out dumbly, and that was only out of reflex. Half a second later, something cold and slimy struck his inner arm, and as he looked down he was slapped in the face by a rough tail that left a small film of slimy mucous. He was dazed for a moment, then caught sight of a fish that was mostly green but had a red line going from the front of the fish up the body. A second later, Alpha recognized it as a Red Basculin. It flipped itself back into the water and quickly swam away. Then Alpha busied himself wiping off the mucous from his face and drying his arms. He heard Terrakion laughing the whole time, and when he was finished he said

_"Wow, your first time was much better than Keldeo's! When I first did that, he caught the fish full-on in the face! I couldn't keep mine straight the whole time!"_ Alpha finished cleaning himself, then took a breath and asked

"What was the point of this exercise?" Terrakion gave him a wry look and questioned

_"Don't you already know?"_ Alpha responded

"You were demonstrating proper and perfect concentration, right?" Terrakion shook his massive head and replied

_"Try again."_ This took Alpha aback. That was how he interpreted this lesson. What else could have been behind it?

"I have no idea." Terrakion huffed and said

_"The idea was to improve _your_ concentration. Part of battle demands that you focus on your enemy, or your target, but keep a watchful eye on the entirety of your surroundings. It doesn't take much to change the scenery."_

"What do you mean?" Alpha asked, frowning.

_"Let me make a small demonstration out of this" _Terrakion said. He charged what Alpha recognized as a Hyper Beam and shot it at a rock, destroying it completely. When the noise settled down, Terrakion turned to him and said

_"Now tell me; if you had been on that rock at the time I shot that, leaving you as you are now, what would have happened?"_

"I probably would have died!" Alpha shouted.

_"And that can happen to you at any point on the battlefield. If, however, you had the proper concentration, able to focus on your enemy but still know your surroundings, you can dodge a potential assassin. Then you will be able to reveal more of your enemies and ensure a swifter victory. Make sense?"_

"But is there any chance that I will be in a battlefield that determines whether I live or die?" Terrakion shrugged his massive shoulders and replied

_"Maybe not. But if you are prepared for the possibility, then you don't have to worry about it if it does occur. Hope for the best but be ready for the worst, that's what I always say. And if you aren't prepared for a certain situation, then you will surely meet your end. Even after a few hundred years of intense training, we four still aren't masters. A true master has nothing he can further learn, but since no one, not even Arceus, can go through life without learning something new, there is no such thing as full mastery. Even the smallest of things in life can take you by surprise if you don't keep a sharp eye out."_

Alpha nodded, awe-inspired by these words of wisdom. Terrakion's training after that consisted mostly of focusing on a single point, a branch, a pebble, even keeping track of a bird, but being able to explain his surroundings in excellent detail. Needless to say, Alpha was practically hopeless, but Terrakion had some words of encouragement just as Virizion came to pick him up.

_"Hey, don't worry about it, kid. You actually did much better than I did when I started this training. I couldn't stand still long enough to focus on my point, and I never bothered to keep track of my surroundings. Boy, I can tell you that my master pushed me into the water every time I disregarded his instruction."_

The two shared a good laugh over that, and when Virizion motioned for Alpha to follow, Terrakion took him back to the shore on his back in good spirits.

_"See ya tomorrow, kid!"_ Alpha smiled and bowed to him, thanking him for his time in teaching him. Then he followed Virizion to a flourishing field behind the forest, one that was filled with tall grasses and a small brook that passed along easily.

"So, what will you be teaching me, Master?" Alpha asked Virizion. She turned to him and said in her cool, calming voice

_"I will be teaching you the benefits of clear-headedness. Terrakion was explaining concentration, correct?"_ Alpha nodded, and Virizion continued.

_"Well, keeping a clear head is vital to maintaining your concentration. You must be able feel no more if you have a thousand enemies or more charging you than you would in scenery such as this. Since you are a beginner in this field, I will allow exceptions. As we continue, however, this will decline and you will be expected to follow up on it. Understand?"_ Alpha nodded again and Virizion said

_"Very well, then. Sit on that rock over there."_ Alpha walked over to and sat on the rock she indicated, then sat next to him and told him

_"The main thing in having a clear head is keeping your mind clear of any and all things, save those that you need. If, for instance, you find yourself battling a foe who uses a particular weapon and nothing more, you must clear your mind of everything other than the uses of this weapon, as well as what you know about that person. It will not matter if you are hungry or thirsty, if you have any particular pain that is not crippling, or even your position. What is important to remember is the information that you immediately need, not that which may prove useless. It is not an easy thing to achieve, but is well worth the effort. For the duration of this training, all you will do is sit on this rock and work to clear your mind, keeping it that way for as long as possible."_

Alpha wondered in shock, then asked

"Is there a specific way to handle it, or a method to attain a clear mind?" Virizion smiled at him and stated

_"Yes, and I will be teaching you these methods. While you work to attain a clear mind, I will explain more about each of us, a result of having worked together for many years. With a clear head, you will be able to hear every word I say and almost memorize it, but at the same time you shall be detached from your consciousness. Now, begin by letting all your emotions go, let them fade away as dust on the wind."_

Alpha closed his eyes and started to do as she asked. He let go of the elation he felt when he learned of his new position, of being able to stay with his friends. He detached himself from the loneliness he experienced after he returned to the Orre region once he finished the World League. That was a good feeling right there, which he promptly let go of. But though he worked tirelessly, there was one thing he couldn't get rid of; his guilt.

He tried and tried, but no matter how hard he wanted to, he couldn't rid himself of that particular burden. He tried not to think about where it came from, but it was difficult since that was the only thing left on his mind. Soon a great sadness descended upon him, one he hadn't felt since that day, and he could not stop the tears from flowing.

_"Enough."_ Alpha opened his eyes but his vision was blurred. He wiped away the liquid in his eyes and saw Virizion staring intently at him.

_"What is that? You seemed to be doing well until a few minutes ago, then you began crying. What is it you cannot release?"_ Alpha sniffed loudly and replied thickly

"My guilt. I have performed deeds in the past I am not proud of, and I have regretted those events ever since. I can't rid myself of it because I don't deserve it. Every scrap of misery I feel because of it is the only thing I deserve." Virizion stared at him more intently, trying to break his gaze. Alpha just turned away and wiped his nose.

_"If you are experiencing troubles from the past, you need to let them go. The past cannot be changed, so you must learn to accept it for what it is and move on."_ Alpha just shook his head and said

"I can't."

"_If you do not, then you will be doomed to fail in all you attempt. What is so bad that you cannot move past it, that which haunts your mind?"_

"I... I can't tell you..." Alpha replied. Before Virizion could say anymore, Keldeo sprang into the field and began shouting

"_Alright, it's my turn with him now, so you better give him up!"_ Virizion shook her head slowly and somewhat sadly, then bent it down and softly told Alpha

"_When you are ready to talk, find me. I will be glad to listen and help."_ Then she walked off into the grasses, leaving Alpha with the smaller horse, or unicorn, as it were. He bounded off to the forest and stood by it, waiting for him. Alpha slowly got up and shuffled his way to him. Keldeo was becoming impatient, saying

"_Come on, we don't have all day! Cobalion will be coming for you soon, and I have to teach you what I can!"_ Alpha wiped away the last vestiges of his tears and followed after the white, blue and red horse. He looked at him and said

"_What's wrong?"_ Alpha just shook his head and lowered it, not meeting Keldeo's eyes. They stopped a short distance in and Keldeo began talking like crazy. Alpha only caught the first few lines, mostly concerning courage, but soon Alpha tuned him out and began thinking about his guilt again. He tried to avoid it, but it swallowed him up and threatened to control his emotions again. He fought it and barely managed to fight the tears threatening to spill out again. Keldeo caught his attention again by shoving one of his hooves into his stomach.

"Oof!" Alpha shouted, falling backwards.

"_Haven't you been paying attention to anything I said?" _Keldeo asked, rather cross. Alpha just shrugged and Keldeo sighed.

"_Well, Cobalion's here for you, so I suggest you get with it!"_ Alpha looked up, and indeed there was the figure of Cobalion standing, waiting for him, and not looking too happy about it, either. Alpha stood and walked to him. When he arrived, Cobalion looked over to Keldeo and asked

"_May we use this area?"_ Keldeo nodded quickly and ran off to do who-knows-what. Cobalion stared at Alpha for a while, and Alpha just stared numbly back, though he couldn't face his eyes.

"_Your demeanor has changed, human, and not for the better. Did you waste our time today?"_ This statement struck a nerve in Alpha, and after the troubles he had been forced to relive, he was in no mood to be insulted.

"What is your problem? I have done nothing to harm you or your friends, and you don't even have the courtesy to use my name? What have I done wrong?" Cobalion stared him down and said

"_You are human. And all humans have ever done is mistreat and abuse pokemon, always thinking they are nothing more than dumb animals. Well, to me, you humans are the dumb animals, and now I am honor-bound to train one of you. I don't believe for a minute that you are of any worth, and all of your kind should be wiped from the earth!"_

A line of bright light flashed out of the pack on Alpha's hip, and the light settled on the ground. When it disappeared, the figure of Rose, Alpha's Gardevoir, stood in front of Cobalion, looking livid.

"_All right, I've had it with you!" _she shouted.

"Rose, what are you doing?!" Alpha shouted at her. She turned to him, anger blazing in her eyes.

"_I heard everything he was saying in your mind, and I won't put up with another word!"_

"Rose, you connected yourself with my mind?" Alpha asked her in a deadpanned tone. She blushed and said

"_It's my duty as a Gardevoir to protect those I'm close to, and you've already suffered enough. Now you listen to me," _she started, closing in on Cobalion.

"_I have seen horrors within my lifetime, but for the entire time I was with Alpha, formerly known as Michael, Red, Brendan, Lucas, and Black, he never made me suffer any of them. If I was in danger, he always protected me. If I had troubles of any kind, he would always set whatever he was doing down and listen, and if I was sad for any reason, he dried my tears and made me see the brighter side of life. I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for him."_ She closed in further to him, glaring at him.

"_I know all about your 'legacy', how you 'saved' all those pokemon by slaughtering humans. Well, Alpha has saved all six regions from various threats, including yours, and he never killed a single person doing it!"_

"Rose, that's enough!" Alpha called top her, but she held up her hand, stalling him.

"_So I don't want to hear anymore crap out of your mouth directing it at my master, or you will pay the price! Do I make myself clear?"_ The look on Cobalion's face spoke of raw, pure fury, and the look he gave Rose made her quail in fear. The top of his head glowed a blue to match his fur, and a blue sword rose from the top of his head, appearing as long as his body. Then he shouted

"_How dare you speak to me this way?! I will teach you to respect your superiors, whelp!"_ And he swung the sword down at her, intending to harm her. Rose squealed and rose her arms to futilely protect herself, closing her eyes.

There was a resounding _clang _that pierced the air, accompanied by a grunt of pain that Rose recognized. She slowly opened her eyes and found Alpha standing in front of her, his right arm holding up his sword, blocking Cobalion's attack. The other was thrown back in a weak attempt at secondary protection.

"_Michael..." _Then Alpha looked up and fixed Cobalion with a glare that even he had to admit wasn't half bad. And when he spoke, his voice was laced with darkness of a sort that Rose hadn't heard in twenty-five years, and it made her shudder with every spoken syllable. All the venom he had locked up inside over the years was pouring out into his next sentence.

"I don't know who you think you are, but I will tell you this once, and only once. If you _ever_ threaten _any _of my friends again, I will personally drag you through hell and back. If I get word that you have harmed my friends in any way, I will make it so you will beg Arceus to having never been born."

And without waiting for a response, he lowered his sword and lifted Rose up, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her away from the steel type, leaving him dumbfounded.

**Wow, who would have thought he would challenge Cobalion? I did! Hahahaha! ;p So, let me know what you guys think of this chapter!**


	6. Ch 6: My Past Haunts Me

**Alright, sorry I've been off the air for a while, I've been trying to enjoy some of my vacation, but I miss your reviews, so I'll just have to continue. Last we left off, Alpha just saved his Gardevoir, Rose, from being killed by Cobalion and threatened him thereafter. This chapter will pick up right after Alpha leaves Cobalion.**

As Alpha left his master behind him, his arm draped over Rose's shoulders, he thought about the consequences of his actions. There were sure to be some, and he knew that he was in the wrong. He challenged his master, and he had ignored Virizion's advice to keep a clear head! Had he been thinking straight, he never would have challenged Cobalion!

Still...

Cobalion wasn't exactly innocent himself, either. He was supposed to be the Iron Will Pokemon; how could Rose have riled him up like that? He was supposed to have a body and a heart of steel, yet Rose had penetrated him as though he were made of paper. It made no sense!

Alpha reached the end of the forest that dipped sharply off in the form of a cliff. Alpha sighed and removed his left arm from her shoulders. His right was still quite sore, since it was the arm he used when wielding his sword, and therefore the arm he used to block Cobalion's attack. He walked over to the edge of the cliff and sat down, looking out over the magnificent scenery laid out before his eyes. He sighed again, letting out only a fraction of his misery.

_"Master... are you angry with me?" _Rose asked him telepathically. Alpha snorted and replied

"I'm angry, but not with you. I'm also a bit stressed out."

_"And why would that be?" _asked a different, more confident female voice. Alpha looked over his shoulder and saw Virizion and Keldeo exiting the forest in their direction. Snorting again, Alpha turned back and softly told her

"You wouldn't understand."

_"And how would you know that? I can hardly say I would understand if I knew nothing about why you are upset in the first place. Tell me what is wrong."_ Tears began to form in Alpha's eyes; Virizion's voice, it reminded him of his mother's, and Keldeo's stature and demeanor, it reminded him so of...

He began crying in earnest now, unable to bear the pain any longer. He wanted to tell someone, but the only one he had ever consulted was Rose since she had cared so much for him. As if on cue, Rose told her

_"He is upset about multiple things, namely his new position and his family."_ Virizion had a bemused expression on her face, not comprehending.

_"I could understand being upset over his family, but-"_

"No, you don't understand! You don't know anything about me!" Alpha screamed at her, whirling around. Keldeo appeared scared, backing away behind Virizion, but she did not so much as flinch.

_"Then why don't you explain why you feel upset about your family? Maybe it will help you move on from your past and allow you to focus on the present._" Turning away from all of them, Alpha wiped his nose and said

"I can't accept it and move on, because to do so means to accept that I _killed _my own family, or what was left of it." Keldeo stepped forward and asked timidly

_"What do you mean?"_ Alpha didn't turn to face him, but his voice was thick with emotion as he said

"I let my pride take a hold of me when I faced off against Cobalion, and the last time I let my pride take over, my sister paid the price." Everything was silent as they all waited for him to continue. Slowly, Alpha stood and began shuffling back and forth along the edge of the cliff in a crude imitation of pacing.

"It was about forty-five years ago..."

_**Flashback/ 45 years in the past...**_

"Come on, big brother, we never have fun anymore!" Michael smiled sadly and replied

"Jovi, you're a grown woman now, or at least too old for these antics. Besides, I'm not what I used to be." Jovi, now around middle age, put her hands on her hips and stated

"Well, you were never around when Jovi was younger, so she's gotta try to make up for it. Come on, what's the worst that could happen? You told Jovi it was abandoned while you were fighting Cipher!"

Michael thought back. What she was referring to was The Under, an old city of sorts that sat underneath Pyrite Town. It was where Cipher first started off, or so he had been told. He had wanted to explore it for any evidence of Cipher, but he had been told time and time again that it was closed off and buried. Every time he looked over the crevice in Pyrite, though, he always thought he could see glimmers from below. That was enough evidence for him that the old city wasn't dead; either that or the workers had done a lousy job sealing it off from prying eyes. Whatever the case, Michael's pride hadn't let him give up the idea of exploring it. But after he defeated Cipher, there was really no more reason to check it out. The only hitch in the plan had been, of course, Jovi.

She had, somehow, learned of his desire to explore the abandoned ruins, even though that desire had burned itself out now that Cipher was finished. But Jovi was persistent, though not above annoying. She had even threatened to rat him out to their mother. Michael felt no fear from this threat, since it was pointless, and he knew she knew that. He remembered some of her diary entries that he had found in old Kaminko's underground lab, and he felt a stab of guilt. The problem was, he already had plans of departure for the Kanto region, which he had heard was very interesting, and quite a change from the lifestyle he knew.

"Jovi," he had told her "I'm going to be away for a while, exploring the world. Besides, you're too young to be traveling down to such a dangerous place. Heck, _I'm _too young to be traveling in such a dangerous place." He smiled triumphantly, believing he had won this argument.

"Yeah, and some might have said that a ten-year old boy was too young to take on an entire criminal syndicate, but you did that with little trouble." She had a look of triumph on her own face, _knowing _she had won the argument. Michael sighed and said

"Jovi, who else am I going to trust with taking care of my pokemon while I'm away? Certainly not Chobin." Jovi's eyes lit up brightly and she squealed

"You mean Jovi gets to hang out with your powerful pokemon every day?!" Michael discreetly rolled his eyes and said

"Yeah, it's not fair if I start out with pokemon I already bonded strongly with, and I have a feeling they would get homesick. So Jovi, can I trust you to take care of my pokemon while I'm away?" Jovi was running around in circles, jumping up and down and squealing the entire time

"Yes, yes, yes, big brother! Jovi will take extra special care of everyone you have! Then when you get back, we can all explore The Under!" Michael rolled his eyes again, not too discreetly this time, and thought

_"Well, so much for that strategy..."_ He was suddenly tackled and he could hear Jovi's high-pitched voice screaming

"Hey, I saw that!" Now, almost forty years later, Jovi was bugging him about it again. She wanted to explore The Under with him.

_"Well, you gotta go through it to get it over with..." _Michael thought in exasperation. He swung his old, worn pack over his right shoulder and said

"Well, we're not gettin' any younger. Let's go!" Jovi had been ecstatic and promptly ran right after him, throwing herself up on Michael's scooter, which he was amazed hadn't broke down in all these years.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Later, as they were scaling down the almost sheer face of the canyon that overlooked The Under, he worried not so much about himself, but Jovi. He knew she was younger than him, so her reflexes weren't shot yet. But that didn't matter if you miscalculated a single step that could throw you off the wall and into the unknown abyss. She wouldn't listen to reason, and then she called him Combusken. He tried to be the adult here, but his youthful rebellion had finally caught up with him.

"Oh, a Combusken, am I? Okay, race you down to the bottom!" Jovi shouted in joy and said

"Now that's more like Jovi's big brother!" And then it happened; the fatal misstep.

She put her foot down on rock that was actually filled with fissures, and with a crumbling sound she fell forward with another scream, but this one of terror. Michael watched in horror as his little sister tumbled head-over-heels into the inky darkness, occasionally hearing loud thumping noises, wincing with each one. He wanted to do something, but he was fully rooted to the spot, as if he had used Ingrain. Finally, he heard a final, muffled _thump_, and his limbs obeyed him again, and he flew down the canyon side, forgetting he had a couple of flying pokemon with him, all the while screaming in his mind

_"No, she can't be... mother will _hate _me if she is... _I'll _hate myself if she is...please Jovi, be all right...please...please..."_

The monotonous cycle continued in his head the entire time, his heart going about a thousand miles a second. Finally he reached the bottom, but he couldn't see a thing. He quickly called out his Ampharos, Akira, who he decided to bring along on the off-chance it was too dark for them.

"Quick, Akira, use Flash!"

A bright light pervaded the area from her tail, and Michael could see his surroundings better. He depicted medium-sized buildings and crumbled old roads. He could see various pieces of old technology, and if he hadn't been so occupied at the moment, he would have been content to sit around and stare all day. As it was, he had other, far more important priorities.

"Jovi... Jovi... where are you?! Come on, say something to big brother!" He knew he was acting foolishly, but he really didn't care at the moment; there was no way he was going to be able to take things easily while his only sister, only sibling, for that matter, lay broken, in pain and possibly...

_"No, I refuse to think like that!" _Michael firmly told himself, shouting for Jovi again. Then he saw something different, a prone shape that looked oddly human, and there was a glint of blue...

"Oh, no..."

Michael ran over and saw the worst thing he thought it was ever possible to see. Jovi lay on the ground, a broken heap. Even here, in the poor lighting, it was clear she landed on her head, which was bent at an awkward angle. The little girl he remembered, her bright smile, her evacacious laughter, the way she always referred to herself in third person... all of that was gone because of one simple movement, the only one that, had she not taken, she would have seen all of the incredible sights he could look at now, but he no longer had an interest in them. In fact, he found he had little interest in anything anymore. He fell to his shaking knees and let the tears flow of their own will, knowing he would never have the power to stop them.

_**Present...**_

Alpha noisily wiped his nose again, the tears flowing down as fluidly as they had that day, and for many weeks thereafter.

_"What did your mother say?" _Virizion asked quietly. Alpha shut his eyes tightly and turned his head away from her.

"I don't know. After I brought her back, I ran off and left the Orre region, never to return. I couldn't face her, all it took was the look on her face, and I set Jovi's body down and bolted as fast as my feet would carry me, and then some. I used my flying types to run fast and hard, yearning to escape my guilt. After several months, though, I realized I would never escape. It was all my fault, I killed my only sister, my baby sister... because of my Arceus-damned pride!"

Alpha swung his fist and punched a tree that was easily four times his height. Keldeo nearly fainted at the sound of horrid cracking, signifying he had broken his hand in multiple places. Even Virizion had flinched at the sound. Alpha withdrew his mutilated hand, having torn off a fair amount of skin against the rough tree bark. He lifted his hand up for inspection in Virizion's direction and said

"Tell me, does this look painful? Does it? Because this isn't even worthy of being a paper cut next to the soul-wrenching agony I feel every time I look at her in my dreams. That sweet, innocent little girl I once knew is dead because of me. I swore from that day on that I would never let my pride get the better of me again, lest I kill someone else in the process."

While Alpha wasn't looking, Rose slunk over and used Recover on his hand, completely repairing all the damage he had done to it. She only wished she could fix his soul. Alpha walked back to the edge of the cliff and sat down. Keldeo slowly stood up and walked to him, taking a seat next to him.

_"I know exactly how you feel."_

"Oh, do you?" Alpha asked him skeptically. Keldeo looked at him with tears in his eyes and replied

_"Yes, I do. Before I joined the Musketeers, I was a simple, happy-go-lucky colt that ran around and got along with everyone I saw, no matter who they were. I lived happily with my parents, who were loving and kind, and always saw the best in everyone. One day, I traveled outside of the forests where I lived, and I met up with a few dragon pokemon. I should have known right then that I was in trouble. These dragons were notorious for causing chaos and mayhem wherever they went. They 'invited' me to be part of their group, taunting me when I was uncertain. After I joined, hell started. They set fire to my beloved forest, continually feeding it. My water powers were undeveloped, so I ran for cover and took it in the lake that served as our water source. Unfortunately, no one else joined me. When the fire died down, I clambered out of the lake and began searching for survivors. I ran to my parents' house when all I saw were burnt bodies. I couldn't rely on plant markers anymore, so I used instinct to guide me. It took most of the night, but I had finally found it and completely disregarded the burn marks on the entrance. As soon as I stepped in, a horrible odor assaulted my nostrils, and I threw up whatever had been in my stomach at the time, mostly water. I kept on walking until I finally found the burnt husks of... of my..." _Then he wailed out to the world, releasing the tension he felt building during his story. Virizion stepped up and softly said

_"The three of us traveled hard and fast to try to reach the forest, but we weren't able to arrive until late morning. By then, it was clear that we were too late. The only one we found was Keldeo, sleeping rather fitfully."_ Alpha looked over at Keldeo, then pulled him into a rough hug where they both cried mercilessly, trying to rip their hearts out to make the pain stop. When they finished, Alpha wiped his eyes and nose yet again, then gave a resigned sigh.

"I have to apologize to him..."

_"That makes two of us" _rang out a strong voice. Everybody whirled around to watch as Cobalion exited the forest.

"What...what do you mean?" Alpha asked him. Cobalion took a deep breath and said

_"I'm sorry. My actions were out of line. I am a _protector _of pokemon, not a murderer. I have no right accusing you of the same atrocities your species has committed, especially since Arceus himself chose you to become his Knight. He humbly asked me to train you for the trials ahead, and I grudgingly conceded, thinking I owed him for everything he has done for me. Make no mistake, I still do not like you, and I don't know if I ever will, but because my actions go against everything I stand for, I must ask your forgiveness."_

Overcoming his shock, Alpha stood and walked over to the cobalt-colored legend and bowed, then stood and responded

"I will accept your apology if you will accept mine; I had no right to speak to one of my masters in the manner I did, despite the cause. I was completely out of line, and if you will forgive me, then I would beg a second chance from you, despite that I don't deserve it." Cobalion and Alpha stared into each others eyes, and everyone gathered behind them watched apprehensively. Then Cobalion gave a sly grin and turned, saying

_"Training begins early in the morning, and I won't allow slackers. Virizion, during your lessons, help him cope, would you?"_ Virizion bowed to him, and everybody left the cliff-side, except for Alpha, feeling relieved after the all the drama. Alpha looked out over the valley below him and barely cracked a smile, a real smile, one he hadn't given in over two decades. He was about to recall Rose, but she waved her arms around and said

_"Wait, wait! I... wish to sleep with you tonight."_ Alpha's face hardened and she quickly shouted

_"No, not like that! I just mean... you need companionship to weather out the night, or you won't be able to face them tomorrow. Please, master, just one night..."_ Alpha's face relaxed and he lowered the pokeball, saying

"Thanks, Rose." When everything was finished, Alpha sat under his coat. True to her word, Rose was not making any contact with him at all, but he felt better with the companionship nonetheless.

**This felt like a real tear-jerker to me. What about you guys? Let me know what you think of it, and have a pleasant evening.**


	7. Ch 7: The First Meeting

**Heya, got another one for ya!**

Over the course of the week, Alpha trained tirelessly with the Musketeers, taking special care in Virizion's courses. He felt that with her help he could finally overcome his past and unlock his full potential. But as fate had a tendency to do, there was an all-important meeting of the Legends to attend, where Alpha was expected. He knew that he was supposed to use his badge in order to teleport to the Hall of Origin, but he was in the dark about what happened next. But he decided to put his faith in Arceus and go with the flow. The day of the meeting, the Musketeers looked particularly well-groomed and Alpha himself was cleaned up, at Virizion's insistence. Then they all looked at him expectantly, and he nervously took his badge from his belt and held it out in front of him, thinking about the Hall of Origin, despite the fact he had never seen it himself. He wasn't even sure what was supposed to happen, but that was quickly resolved for him.

The badge glowed black, and a small beam of the same color shot out and stopped at a point in the air, creating a dark, swirling vortex. Slightly apprehensive, he watched as the Musketeers walked through the vortex, then took a deep breath and walked through himself. There was the disorienting feeling of his head spinning on his shoulders, and when it stopped, he looked around and gasped, seeing a grand hall of magnificence.

Most of it consisted of marble. Marble floors, walls, and pillars. There was gold trimming on the walls and overhangs, and even stylized golden runes on the smooth marble pillars. Before him stood two massive doors that looked like pure gold, and imposed on the golden surface was a mural. It was that of the Legends all converging in on one point in the middle, and upon closer inspection revealed his lord, Arceus, in the middle. On his right stood (or was it floated?) Mew, who had her head down, eyes closed and hands together in prayer. They were both surrounded by a golden glow that seemed to radiate from Arceus' golden hoop. That looked familiar…

Quickly Alpha looked at his shirt, then his badge, and he realized that the mark that Arceus had provided for his demonstration was actually his golden hoop, as though it were separate from his body, and in the hollow middle was a peculiar shape he couldn't place, somewhat like a wavy isosceles triangle that had two dots at the bottom. Looking closer, Alpha thought the shape was similar to Arceus' head.

Beyond the golden glow, a triangle was formed, and taking each point of the triangle were Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. He shuddered when he saw the depiction of Giratina, and saw a repressed memory of being stuck in the Distortion World. He had been searching out the souls of his mother and sister so as to beg their forgiveness. But Arceus hadn't given him the chance. Maybe it was better that way.

After the Creation Trio, the rest of the legends surrounded the five, and Alpha noticed that counterparts were placed on opposing sides; moreover, the legends were split by whichever region they normally occupied. Alpha stared at it, enthralled, when Virizion stepped up to him and asked, taking him by surprise

"_Beautiful, is it not?"_ Alpha took a breath to calm himself, then replied

"Yes, it's completely magnificent, and I can't believe I get to look at this. Most people from earth would give up their lives to catch even a glimpse of this, and yet I was invited here by Arceus himself." Terrakion joined them and said

"_Well, of course. You're Arceus' knight, it's only natural he would want to show you off, and since you've improved a lot over the week, you're much more impressive now."_ Alpha blushed at the praise and said

"No, no, I have my teachers to thank for my progress. If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't be where I am now. Thank you."

The Musketeers nodded, and without a further word Cobalion stepped up and pushed against the golden doors, opening them. When they stepped inside, the doors seemed to close by themselves, or maybe it was gravity at work. Wherever he looked, Alpha could see more glorious marble trimmed with gold, but this time he could see rich tapestries of varying colors, the front-most ones depicting legends and their glorious deeds. Further back were tapestries of certain legends in deciding battles or wars, and Alpha was fascinated by them, too, but before he could continue down the hall to observe them better, a cool but leading voice said

"Good, you're early." Alpha whirled around to see Arceus standing about five feet to their right, and he relaxed.

"Hello, Lord Arceus, how are you today?" Alpha asked him. Arceus inclined his head to him and said

"I am doing well, thank you. How is your training progressing?" Cobalion stepped in and answered.

"_Well, the first lessons weren't exactly… up to standard, and we did not have a rather pleasant introduction. After that, however, he began to work hard, to the same point when Keldeo trained. I hate to admit it, but he is rather impressing… for a human, anyway."_

Alpha was irked by this statement, but he kept his mouth shut, not wishing to start another fight. Then he concentrated on clearing his head, and all the emotions drained out of him, including his recently-defeated guilt. Virizion was a miracle worker.

"I suppose that's the best you can say for him, then?" Arceus asked, rolling his eyes a bit.

"Well, no matter. Go to the assembly room and wait for the meeting to begin. Alpha, join me for a moment." As the Musketeers walked off in the direction of the end of the hall, Arceus began to travel down a side hall Alpha hadn't seen before. When they were about halfway down it, Arceus spoke to him.

"So, I understand that you argued with Cobalion and survived? That's quite the feat." Alpha frowned and asked

"Why, who else has?" Arceus smirked and replied

"Nobody. That makes you even more unique, having survived an argument, and even a bit of swordplay, against him. Even Virizion and Terrakion don't question his leadership, and Keldeo follows him devotedly. Even so, I am glad you could unbend your pride enough to apologize and even beg for a second chance. That takes strength. I am glad I chose you as my knight and gave you that sword. Which reminds me," he said, turning to Alpha.

"There is one last technique to master, when you reach that level. I won't reveal how to use it; you must figure that one out on your own, but I will say this; the final technique your blade possesses wields a power similar to my Judgement. That is to say, you can focus on a specific type and unleash its full power at any range you choose. It is quite the ability, which should give you an incentive for growing with it. Soon I expect that the Musketeers will begin to challenge your sword mastery, so you will become proficient with it." Alpha was exhilarated to learn something new about the extent of his power, but he had a question.

"When will I be able to tell when I can use this ultimate technique, though?" Arceus smiled and told him

"Don't worry, when the time comes, you'll know. For now, I want you to keep hidden behind this wall." Alpha could see an open doorway that led he-knew-not-where, and he eyed Arceus with curiosity. Arceus smirked and said

"This doorway leads to the meeting room. When I introduce you, you shall walk through this door, sword drawn and summoning the power of fire. That will convince them of your position, but I expect some opposition on their part. But we will address that problem when it arises. Agreed?"

Alpha nodded and leaned against the wall, smiling at the thought of presenting himself to the rest of the legends. He wondered how they would take it, and then he grew apprehensive. Arceus walked into the room and heard him speaking to the other legends.

"Welcome to the annual meeting of legends one and all. We are gathered here, once again, to inform every one of recent events. Before we begin, however, I have a special announcement to make."

Alpha took a deep breath and drew his sword, then concentrated on fire and summoned its power, striving to keep it containable. The entirety of his sword lit up in a brilliant tongue of flame, hued red, yellow, orange, and the occasional flicker of blue. He marveled at its beauty, but Arceus' next words interrupted his thoughts.

"As some of you may already be aware," Arceus started, and Alpha smirked, thinking he already knew who knew what he was going to say next "I have taken on a knight as of late, one who shall serve to spread peace throughout the land. I have brought him with me so he may join us for this meeting. Everyone, meet the White Knight, Alpha!"

After Arceus' flourish, Alpha walked into the room, brandishing his flaming sword above his head, standing by Arceus' right hand side, or right _hoof _side, as it were, and after about five seconds he extinguished the fire on his sword and knelt before Arceus, placing his sword arm, still holding the sword, on his right knee. He bowed his head in subservience and said

"My Lord, you have called me and I have come. My loyalties, and that of my friends, belong to you, now and forever."

Arceus appeared pleased and motioned for Alpha to stand. He did so, sheathing his sword, and placing his hands behind his back and staring ahead of him, observing the other Legends spread out before him. He saw them all, including the Roamers, the demi-Legends, if you will. These were Legends that had significantly less power than full-fledged Legends, but were substantially more powerful than average pokemon. Moreover, these were Legends that _had _a home to call their own, but did often spend time there. Rather, they would travel over the lands, perhaps in a desire to see the world, maybe to help others where possible, or just for the heck of it. Giratina jumped up from his seat, practically spitting with rage.

"What treachery is this, Arceus?! I did not give you possession of his soul so you could flippantly ignore the rules of nature and resurrect him to become your knight!" Arceus' eyes darkened and he replied

"My actions are not for you to question, shade. You will mind your place in the future or suffer my wrath. Do I make myself clear?" Giratina stared daggers at both Arceus and Alpha, who felt uneasy around the cursed dragon but refused to show it. Giratina slammed himself down in his rage, still staring daggers at the both of them. Then a feminine voice distracted Alpha and tore his gaze away from the spited dragon, and he saw the Bird of the Oceans, Lugia.

"You seem very familiar… have we met somewhere before?" Alpha looked at Arceus for permission to speak, and when he nodded his head, Alpha faced Lugia and said

"Well, I'm amazed you still remember me, Lugia. How many years has it been, ninety? I believe that was about the time Cipher was defeated." Lugia's eyes widened in shock, and she looked intently at his face and hair. Then she seemed to recognize him, and she asked

"Michael, is that you?" Alpha's smile widened, and he bowed and responded

"It's Alpha now, but yes." Lugia's eyes resembled nothing short of dinner platters, and Alpha had to resist the urge to laugh out at the sight. Lugia blinked, returning her eyes to normal, then she turned to Arceus and told him

"You are wise indeed to choose him. He is strong and compassionate, and he has always meant well to those around him. I, for one, approve."

Before anyone else could say anything, though, a small pink blur sped right into Alpha's face, knocking him back a few steps. He couldn't see anything, but he could feel soft fur on his face, accompanied by the smell of sugar, very strong sugar, and he could also hear several bouts of laughter, one that was spiteful, that had to be Giratina, a couple of female voices, and only a handful of males. Most of the males seemed to be groaning, including Arceus.

"Mew, get off his face already" Arceus said in Alpha's direction. He raised his arms and began pulling the strange… whatever, off his face. Whatever it was didn't want to let go, however, and clung tighter, which elicited more of the laughs and groans. He finally succeeded in prying the thing off his face and held it up for inspection.

He saw a small creature with the size and appearance of a cotton-candy-pink cat. It even had the long tail of a cat, but it was longer than any cat's tail he had ever seen before. The eyes were bigger than what was normal as well, and the front arms were smaller than they should have been. He asked the strange cat

"Who are you?" When the cat giggled, Alpha realized it was a she, and he reviewed his store of pokemon knowledge. Suddenly he remembered seeing an ancient picture of something that looked very much like this cat in front of him, and he thought back to what it had read thereafter.

"Are you… Mew?" She giggled again and nodded, and Alpha let go, apologizing for being so inappropriate. The goddess did not acknowledge his apology, though. Instead, she tried to swipe Alpha's sword out of its sheath, but it seemed to be stuck. She flew behind him and began tugging on it for all she was worth, but it would not budge. Arceus laughed and said

"Forget it, Mew. I had that sword designed so that no one but the wielder could draw it and utilize its power." Mew relinquished her attempts and floated up to Arceus' face, then said darkly

"You mean to tell me that you created a sword with immense power that even I couldn't use?" Arceus nodded and Mew stuck her tongue out and blew a large raspberry at him, and when she finished she shouted and pouted.

"Meanie! I want a sword like that!" Most of the female legends giggled at her antics, while most of the males groaned and slapped their faces with their hands, some even going so far as to slam their heads into the large glass table in front of them. Arceus took a deep breath and told her

"Mew, you will _never _have a sword that wields such power as this one. I wouldn't even trust you with a toothpick." Mew then began to throw a fit, making the males groan even louder and repeatedly slam their heads into the table.

Alpha, feeling a bit unsure, went over and plucked Mew out of the air and began to cradle her, rocking her gently. He had done this for many of the baby pokemon he had received throughout his journey when they were upset, but he wasn't quite sure if this would work on a Legend. Soon enough, though, Mew had stopped crying and had even fallen asleep in his arms, sucking on her thumb. Despite her position, Alpha found the sight rather cute. When he looked up, the smile was wiped right off his face as he saw all of the Legends staring at him with their jaws hanging wide open. He looked at all of them and asked

"What? What did I do?" Darkrai was the first to recover, and the phantom told him

"You've done the one thing not even Arceus can do; you managed to shut Mew up during one of her fits without having to threaten her life. She doesn't even remember that she's immortal, so a death threat always works. But you didn't have to do that to shut her up." Arceus stood tall and said

"I believe I speak for all of us when I say we are grateful for your efforts. We often have to put up with her antics, and it gets rather tiring." Alpha frowned and looked down at the ancestral pokemon, wondering

"Has anyone ever tried to figure out why she acts this way?" Arceus shook his head and replied

"No one can make her sit still long enough." He paused for a moment and asked

"Why?" Alpha took a deep breath and said

"If it's alright with you, I would like to speak with her when we are done with the meeting here." Everyone in the room, save Arceus, Alpha, and of course Mew, began whispering to each other. After a minute of this, Arceus silenced them and asked Alpha

"Again, why?" Alpha thought for a moment, then replied

"Given what you have told me before, I think she may be suffering mentally, and I would like to help her." No one was whispering anymore, they just appeared shocked. Arceus contemplated this for a moment, then said

"Tell you what; you and Mew will be excused from today's meeting. Go ahead and work with her, if that's possible, and see if you really can do anything. Her room is down the hall, head left at the golden arch with purple trim. She always leaves her door wide open, or at least unlocked. If you find a room littered with candy wrappers, that's Mew's room."

The rest of the Legends chuckled at the joke that also told a sad truth; Mew was an absolute slob and didn't bother to clean any messes she created. Alpha bowed to Arceus again and set off to find Mew's room. He looked down and could see tears flowing down the cat pokemon's face, traveling over her thumb due to the effects of gravity. The sight shocked Alpha, but he was now more convinced than ever that Mew was suffering and that he wanted to help her. So engrossed was he in his thoughts that he almost missed her room after he saw the gold and purple arch. He walked inside, still carrying the little candy-pink pokemon. The room was indeed a mess, how could anyone live like this?!

Alpha gently set Mew on the bed and began to quietly clean up. When he finished, he sat on the small pokemon's bed and gently wiped away the tears that rolled down her feline face.

**Mew has never seemed like the childish type to me, but everyone else thinks so. But I'll put a real twist on this; who knows, maybe this will count as Alpha's greatest achievement. I don't want to give any spoilers here, but I **_**might**_** be working on a small project with GalladeFenrir44, the genius behind The Blade and The Embrace. I won't say anything more than that, and I will ask you not to bug him here and now. Instead, review me or PM me, but don't ask what I'm conspiring- I mean… uh… oh whatever, just send me some reviews, please!**


	8. Ch 8: Help Me

**Okay, coming out with another one. These beginning notes feel necessary, but I hardly have anything interesting to say in them. Hmm… oh well, on with the show!**

As Alpha sat on the edge of Mew's bed, he wondered what could have happened to cause the tears he found himself wiping away regularly. Then he wondered whether or not he should wake her since she was hardly having a peaceful sleep. She was tossing and turning now, and because she was such a small pokemon, Alpha worried about her safety. So he reached out with a hand and gently shook her tiny shoulder, saying

"Mew, wake up." Her eyes shot open and she bolted up in her bed, panting heavily. Her head swiveled around, obviously confused.

"Where am I?" she asked him. Alpha smiled warmly and said

"We've been excused from the meeting, so I brought you to your room." Her little head, though it was big for her body, swung around again, and she said

"This isn't my room; it's too clean!" Alpha smiled again and told her

"Yeah, I cleaned up while you were sleeping, but you were just tossing and turning, so I decided to wake you." She nodded and appeared generously grateful, but then she flew out of her bed and zoomed off to a shelf were she began to throw various board games aside, shouting

"So, what do you want to play? I've got Life, I have Monopoly, or maybe Chutes and Ladders. Oh, oh, oh, I know, I know, what about Mousetrap?!" Alpha slowly walked up to her and pulled her into his arms where she struggled vainly for a bit. He began to scratch her behind the ears, and she stopped struggling. Then she practically melted in his arms and began _purring._

Wait a minutes, Legends _purr_?! Alpha looked down at her in shock, and she looked up in lazy glee. Then his expression changed to one of concern and he asked

"Mew, why do act the way you do? It's unbecoming of a legend, especially one of your status. You don't seem like a child to me, so will you please talk to me?" Mew's expression became one of shock, then avid horror, and she struggled to escape. She even tried to use her powers, but the sword he wore kept him protected. Finally she gave up and hung limp in his arms, her expression one of defeat.

"What do you want from me?" she asked him.

"Nothing. I just feel like you need help, and given my new position, I would like to be the one to help you. There's no shame in asking for help when you need it, you know." Mew began to sniffle, and she tried to escape again, but Alpha held strong and refused to let her go until he knew what was going on. When she gave up again, he walked over to her bed and sat down, still keeping her pinned in his arms.

"Come on, talk to me. What's the matter?"

"I have nothing to say, there's nothing wrong with me" she stated, her voice thick with emotion.

"Really?" asked Alpha,

"That's not what I'm hearing. Is that how you really feel, or is it what the other Legends have forced you into during your time with them? How do you really feel inside right now?" Alpha turned her to him and asked her, face-to-face

"What troubles do you face that you can't reveal? You know they can't do anything against you. In power, you're second only to Arceus, and between you and me, I think you could give him a run for his money." Mew looked around, then seemed to make a decision. Her eyes glowed blue and the door swung closed and locked. Then she looked into his eyes and said

"You must swear that you will never tell anyone what I am about to tell you." Alpha gently set her down on her bed and stood, drawing his sword. For a moment, Mew looked terrified, but Alpha drew the edge over the palm of his hand, drawing blood, then clenching his hand into a fist and said

"I swear on my blood that whatever secrets you tell me shall remain between us two." Mew looked at him for a moment, askance. Then she shook her head and motioned for him to sit where he had been before. He sat on the edge and Mew floated to him and sat upon his lap. She used Recover on him, healing his hand, then nuzzled up to his stomach. He wrapped a protective arm around her, then she asked

"Do you know what it's like to lose loved ones?" Alpha's heart stung for a moment, then he nodded and said

"Yes, I have lost those I loved in the past."

"Have you ever lost any of your children?" The question shocked Alpha for a minute, but he recovered and said

"I don't have children." Mew snorted and said

"Then that's one pain you haven't experienced, that many haven't experienced, yet haunts me eternally." Frowning, Alpha asked her

"What do you mean?" Mew looked distant for a while, then she began to speak in the most adult-like manner he had heard from her yet.

"It was a few million years ago…"

_**Flashback/ 2.8 million years ago…**_

Mew watched in horror as the meteor hurtled ever closer to the planet where her beloved children frolicked day and night. She was being held back by Arceus because she wanted to stop this from happening, but there was nothing she could do.

"Why are you doing this?!" she screamed at the top deity,

"Don't you even care?!" Arceus looked away from the near devastation about to occur, and said with tears pouring out of his eyes

"Of course I do, but we are not supposed to interfere. You and I both agreed that we would let the planet fend for itself after we gave it the means to survive. You know this."

"I didn't know it meant you would let the entire planet die in such a case as this! Let me go, I have to save my children!" she screamed, and even the mortals of the world below could hear her pain over the screams of terror flying around due to their imminent deaths.

However, Arceus would not relent, and she was forced to watch in horror as the meteor crashed into the planet and sent massive shockwaves that would devastate the planet all around. Technically, the only one who was forcing her to watch was herself, but she couldn't bear to look away. She would not dishonor her children by looking away if she couldn't save them. But each scream of pain and terror she heard wracked her very soul, and she wished she could take their pain away from them. But it just couldn't be. For the next week they watched the destruction of the small planet, one that would eventually grow into a lush and beautiful world, but Mew hated every tortuous second.

When the destruction finally ended, Arceus released his grip on Mew, and she slumped, unable to muster the will to float anymore. She felt a large claw at her tiny shoulders, and when she looked around she saw Palkia offering her arms for comfort. Mew immediately jumped to her and loosed a wail of tearing sorrow, of soul-wrenching grief. Dialga came by his sister, and for the first time they weren't fighting, struggling as they were to comfort the mother of all pokemon, save for themselves, of course.

Just as Mew was about finished crying, they all heard cackling laughter next to them. Mew looked at the intruder and saw the Lord of the Dead, Giratina. She had never liked him. He eyed her children's lives too expectantly, as though they would have died merely by his looks alone, which she was always afraid would happen. She gently pushed herself away from Palkia and addressed him.

"Why do you laugh in the face of such destruction, Giratina? Have you no compassion?" Giratina's dark eyes narrowed as he hissed

"Oh, I have compassion, alright, but of a different kind. I enjoy death, and this chaos is exactly what I needed to get through the next millennium." Mew was horrified and she quietly asked

"How can you revel in the death of my children?" Giratina scoffed and replied

"You can always make more. Besides, this batch was as good as dead, they served no purpose. It was for the best really" he sighed in boredom.

Something inside of Mew snapped. How dare this bastard mock her, and more importantly, her children's lives? Her tiny hands clenched into fists and a frightening glow surrounded her. Her eyes were leaking again, but her jaws were clenched together almost to the point that her teeth would break. Palkia saw this happening and quickly looked at her brother. They both knew she would murder the shade dragon, and the only one who could stop her was Arceus. He had left to mourn in peace, for despite what he had said, he cared very deeply for the lives lost in the disaster. They fled in the direction they knew he had traveled, shouting his name frantically. Giratina turned to them and lifted an eyebrow, asking aloud

"What are they running for, crying to their daddy?" Then he turned to Mew who was building up a combo move that she hoped would end him for good. It was a combination of Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball, and when it was at the apex of its power, she screamed as loudly as her tiny body would allow and hurled the move at her enemy. His pupils shrunk and he said

"Oh, shi-!" The ball struck him with devastating power and blew him back several hundred feet before he regained control and stopped in midair. He stared at her menacingly and hissed

"What do you think you're doing, you bitch?" Tears continued to stream down her face as she prepped an ExtremeSpeed and said darkly

"Sending you to join my children, you bastard." And she zoomed at him and began to unleash hell on him, especially Night Slash on his face, hoping to put out his eyes, but she always seemed to miss. Yet no matter how much she hit him with his weaknesses, he wouldn't die! But she refused to give up until either he was dead, or she was.

Suddenly, a strong force grabbed her and pinned her down, preventing her from hurting Giratina further. She struggled as much as possible, using Bulk Up until she couldn't make it work anymore, then attempting to free herself from her bonds.

"Mew! That's enough, you must restrain yourself!" She turned and saw Arceus, the only one who could hold her down, concentrating on her.

"Let me go!" she screamed. "I want to kill that bastard! He called my children worthless, that they deserved to die! He mocked me, thinking motherhood a breeze! I've had it with him, he was always watching my children, just wanting them all to die! Let me go now, before I make you!" Giratina laughed at her and said

"You, little cat? You could not even put a dent on your master. Go back to him like the bitch you really are!" Arceus was stunned at what Giratina had just said in front of him that he didn't notice Mew's attack until the last second, already too late. She had sent, with enormous speed, a succession of Focus Blasts and Aura Spheres directly at him, breaking his concentration and releasing her.

She screamed again, working off the hatred she felt at everyone right now. Then she returned to her assault on Giratina, this time using every element in the roster, even Normal and Fighting after she used Foresight. Arceus shook off Mew's attacks and restrained her again, making sure to prevent her from using any of her moves. He moved next to her and forced her to look into his eyes. Her own were dark and filled with sheer, burning hatred. They were also wet.

"Mew, you have assaulted one of our own, as well as me. I have no choice but to punish you for your treasonous actions." The darkness faded from her eyes, only to be replaced by extreme sadness, so overwhelming that if she wasn't immortal it would have killed her on the spot. She hung her head in resignation. Arceus sent her to Palkia and instructed her to put Mew in a prison dimension where she would spend the next two hundred thousand years. Palkia nodded numbly and used Spatial Rend and disappeared into the portal. Arceus turned his attention to Giratina and told him

"You got exactly what you deserved. I hope you're pleased with yourself now. I wanted to help her recover, but you just blew any chances of that. However she turns out from this, it will be because of you. You can nurse your injuries later. For now, do your job and collect the souls of the departed." Arceus left him to attend to his work, and Giratina said to himself

"I hope she turns out a miserable mess for the rest of her existence. Then at least I'll have some entertainment."

_**Back to the present…**_

Mew was crying heavily again, and she barely managed to sob out

"I stayed in that prison for many years, even lost my sanity a few times, but unfortunately I always got it back. I tried looking for a way to fill the void, but nothing helped. When I was released, Arceus told me he needed help repopulating the world, but with different beings. For almost a thousand years I refused to comply, because I knew that if history repeated itself I would not stop until Giratina was truly dead, no matter how much they locked me up. After Arceus made me see reason, though, I birthed an entirely new era of pokemon. I enjoyed playing with them day and night, seeing their happy faces once more. It was then I decided that I had to at least pretend I was always having a good time, whether I was or not. So I adopted the childish persona that everyone sees me for, but at night I still cry myself to sleep."

Alpha looked down to the floor in sadness and exhaustion, then gently cradled Mew for a while. When she fell asleep, he tucked her in for the night and slipped quietly out of her room. He walked down the hall, meeting up with Arceus, who was having a conversation with Giratina, though it wasn't friendly.

"Ah, Alpha" said Arceus, "have you found the answer to Mew's problem? And why are you soaked?" Alpha looked down at himself and realized he was covered in Mew's tears. He looked up at his liege and told him

"I found the reason to her behavior, but I made a blood pact to not reveal her secrets. I will work on a solution tomorrow. May I stay here for the night, My Lord?" Arceus smiled at him and said

"Of course! We always have an extra room or two open. Come, I will take you to your temporary quarters." As Alpha passed by the God of Death, he gave him the same death glare he had given Cobalion, and while it did not terrify him, it did faze him somewhat. Then Giratina shrugged the feeling off and muttered

"Damn, it's like everyone has something against me."

**There, now I feel that Mew has the chance to be the adult I feel she deserves to be. Let me know what you think!**


	9. Ch 9: What To Do?

**Phew, another one a-comin'. I gotta wonder, how do other people like this story? Good? Bad? Think you could do better? Well, let me know how you feel, please!**

Alpha woke up feeling comfy. He looked around and saw a large room, and he knew was in the Hall of Origin. He marveled at the dimensions and wondered how large the Hall really was. He got up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, putting his face into his hands and contemplating the dilemma set before him. He wasn't aware of how a parent felt if their children died before them. Nor did he want to know. He knew he had put his mother through that and didn't want to dwell on it. He had finally been able to move past his guilt, thanks to Virizion, and now he felt obligated to help Mew. There was nothing other than his sense of duty telling him to help her, but he wanted to nonetheless.

He just didn't know how.

He got up and dressed, yawning widely before he opened the door. He was surprised to find Mew outside his door, just hovering there.

"Hey…" he said cautiously. She blushed a little (who knew Legends blushed?) and looked at the floor in embarrassment.

"Listen… I just want to… apologize… for my behavior earlier…" Alpha smirked and asked

"You mean at the meeting or during our talk last night?" Blushing harder, she moaned out

"Both." Alpha sighed and plucked her out of the air, sitting her gently in his arms again. She struggled a little but relaxed when he began to scratch her behind the ears, which she found she loved. Alpha began walking, Mew directing him to the dining room.

"Listen Mew, I think now would be an excellent time to surprise the rest of them" Alpha softly told her. She cocked her head in confusion and asked

"What do you mean?" Smiling, Alpha lifted her up into the air and left her there, unsure since he knew she could float but unsure if she was willing. She didn't seem to mind but hung onto his words.

"I know that you're… still suffering… and I know it's cruel of me to say this… but I really think it's time to move on. I can understand a bit how you feel. Forty years ago, my sister died because I challenged her to a race. She took a fatal misstep and I couldn't even face my mother again. I went so far as to flee my home region to try and escape my guilt, but it followed me wherever I went. With the guidance of someone far wiser than me, though, I was able to move on. I know my age and wisdom pales horribly in comparison with you, but I still want to be able to help you. If I end up making things worse, please tell me and I will never bother you again."

She looked at his face in shock, then stared into his eyes intently, trying to determine whether or not he was serious. Upon discovering that he was, she began to giggle, but not the usual giggle she had, the one she used when acting the child, but a real one. Alpha thought it was a vast improvement; her childish giggle sounded high-pitched and annoying, and worst of all, forced. But this one sounded natural, and while it was still somewhat high-pitched, given her small size, it also sounded much smoother than before. Alpha couldn't help but smile at her, then ask her

"What?" She stopped giggling but was still smiling. Then she floated forward and hugged his face, and while it resembled their first meeting, it was different in that this one was natural and not a ploy for attention, or fulfilling an expected role.

"You have done more for me by simply listening and caring for me the way you did during my time of need. And I agree with you; I do need to move on. Nearly three million years should have been enough to make me see this, but I was blinded by my sadness and rage. I will assume my role and responsibilities today. Will you stay with me while I make this transition? I could use a friend right now, and you're the only one I _know _I can depend on right now."

Alpha grimaced inside and looked at her face, no longer pleading childishly, but genuinely asking for companionship. Sighing, Alpha told her

"I can only stick around with you long enough for you to tell Arceus, but then I have to get back to training with my masters. If you want me to be around when you tell the rest, I'm afraid I won't be able to." Mew shook her head and replied

"No, I'll tell the rest when we meet up again. As I know, though, we may have a meeting sooner than usual. From what I understand, some problems are arising among the various regions. You may be needed sooner than expected, Alpha." He took a moment to process this, then asked

"Do you want to find Arceus now and give him the good news?" Mew nodded and blushed a bit before asking

"Can you… carry me again? I just… feel safe in… your arms…" Then she suddenly turned and said

"No, never mind, that was stupid of me to-"

She yelped as Alpha plucked her out of the air again and settled her into his arms, she blushing the whole time. He smiled at her and began walking again, finding Arceus in the dining room poring over reports he received, presumably from the last meeting. Alpha looked at Mew and winked, and she blushed fiercely. He walked in and cleared his throat to get Arceus' attention. He turned to them and instinctually stretched out his hoof to keep his coffee safe from her. She looked up at Alpha and sighed in exasperation.

"Well, I did that to myself, I suppose" she mumbled before floating out of Alpha's arms and toward Arceus who drew his coffee closer to himself. She stopped and hovered in front of his face, then bowed and said

"Lord Arceus, I beg your forgiveness for my inexcusable behavior after all this time. I am fully ready to assume my role and responsibilities once more. I hope you will provide me with that chance." Arceus jolted in shock, staring straight at her continuously straight face. Realizing she wasn't kidding, he looked at Alpha and asked softly

"What on earth did you do to her?" Alpha looked him in the eye and said

"All I did was listen to her cry for help." Arceus looked at Mew again, who nodded and began to explain herself. After about half an hour, Arceus picked up his jaw and began asking questions.

"So, you've only been _acting _like a child this whole time?" Mew nodded.

"And all those times you caused trouble for us?" Mew sighed and looked down, responding

"I was feeling particularly angry, and decided to take it out on all of you. Even now, when I have accepted their fate, I still cannot forget the anger I felt, that I _feel_, every time I remember Giratina's hateful spite. Why did he have to be so cynical in my time of misery? And why did I feel it necessary to take my anger out on the rest of you? I cannot answer these questions, but I hope you will come to forgive me." Arceus stood from his custom chair and began nuzzling the side of his face against her, saying

"It's good to have you back, Mew." Alpha smiled at the scene and decided to leave them to their own devices while he went to continue his training.

"Wait!" He turned as he saw Mew flying toward him, stopping in front of him and saying

"Thank you, again. You helped me a lot, and I can't begin to tell you what that means to me. I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting."

"That reminds me," Arceus said, stepping out of the dining room.

"Alpha, inform the Musketeers that there will be an emergency meeting in three months' time, and I expect you to be well trained by then." Alpha nodded and held up the badge, focusing on Rumination Field. The vortex opened up and Alpha stepped into it after waving good bye to Mew. After the usual disorientation, he found himself surrounded by his masters, Cobalion looking rather annoyed.

"_And where have you been?" _Virizion calmly asked him.

"What, are you my mom, now?" he teased her, laughing a little. Cobalion stepped up and pawed the ground, stating

"_No games, human. Where were you?"_ Holding up his hands in defense, Alpha said

"Relax, I was only kidding. I was at the Hall of Origin, helping Mew overcome some… issues." The four exchanged confused glances, and Virizion turned to him and asked

"_What sort of 'issues'?"_ Alpha shook his head and replied

"I'm sorry; I am not at liberty to disclose that information. I made a blood pact that I would not reveal Mew's secrets without her permission." Cobalion seemed confused, but it quickly passed and he said

"_Very well, then. We must continue your training for the time being."_ He turned and began to walk away, then stopped and looked over his shoulder, asking

"_Did Arceus have anything more to say?"_ Alpha nodded and responded

"Yes, he asked me to tell you that there will be an emergency meeting in three months' time. He didn't say what for, but I suppose we'll know when the time comes." Cobalion nodded his head and continued walking away, and Virizion and Keldeo followed, but Terrakion and Alpha made their way to the river to work on Alpha's concentration, which was vastly improved.

"_So," _Terrakion started, _"can you tell me the end results of your time with Mew?"_ Alpha thought for a moment, then said

"I think I'll let it be a surprise." Throughout the day, Alpha followed his normal training schedule, but at the end of it he was told by Cobalion that the next week would follow with practicing his swordsmanship. Alpha felt excited about that, and when he went to bed it was with a light heart.

**Okay, that's where I'm going to end the chapter for now. By the way, I haven't seen any new reviews so far. What's wrong, what did I do? Please review soon.**


	10. Ch 10: The Emergency Meeting

**Well, here's another. This story will skip ahead for the three months so we can make it to the next meeting. During this time, Alpha has become far more powerful. His relationship with the Musketeers has improved, especially Cobalion, but that one could still be better. Anyway, here we go!**

The day had come for the Musketeers and Alpha to return to the Hall of Origin to attend the emergency meeting Arceus had called for. None of them was uneasy, since Cobalion claimed that Arceus ran these sorts of tests every now and then to keep the legends on their toes. This would probably be no different, so Alpha unclipped his badge and focused on the Hall of Origin and opened the portal. They stepped through and arrived in front of the golden doors. Cobalion pushed it open and they all filed through and went to the meeting room.

Alpha was anxious to meet Mew again to see how she was doing, particularly how she was holding up with the work she had to do now that she resolved to take her place among the Legends. When they entered the meeting room, a few of the Legends were already there and waiting. Alpha saw a small pink blur rush up to him but stop about five feet before collision.

"Mew, how are things going with you?" Alpha asked her after she settled in midair.

"Difficult" she responded. Alpha smiled at her reply and said

"Are the others treating you better yet?" Mew glanced furtively around and closed in on him, and then she said

"Actually, nobody knows that I have taken on my responsibilities yet. That will be announced during the meeting. Some, including you, might not know this, but this is mostly a test meeting. There are some things to discuss, but nothing major. You might have a mission before the day is out, though." Alpha smirked and told her

"Cobalion already warned me that this might be a test meeting, so I can't say it doesn't surprise me. I would love to be out doing my work already. From what I understand there are many pokemon suffering out there. I hope I can assume my role already. I will ask Arceus after this meeting is finished." Mew nodded her tiny head and said

"It's good that you are eager to help others, and it especially makes me happy because those are my children out there. Maybe I should ask Arceus if you can come under my power too so I can enlighten you to any further issues that he might not catch."

Then Arceus entered the room with the last straggling Legends, and everyone bowed to him. He took his place at the table and motioned for everyone else to do the same. All but Alpha moved, since he had no idea where he was supposed to be. Arceus, however, caught his eye and motioned for him to stand by his side. Smiling, Alpha walked over and took his place. He was meant to stand, which he didn't mind, because if he sat the table would have been too high for him, and he didn't like the idea of a raised chair for him. As it was, the table cleared his shoulders, but Arceus had provided him with a raised platform that he could stand on and participate in the meeting. Alpha could only speculate what the discussion was going to be about, but he looked forward to it nonetheless. After all, how many other humans had witnessed not one, but two whole meetings of the Legends?

The meeting got under way in the same manner that the last one had, but contained a surprise.

"Now, as you all know, I have chosen a knight to train under the Musketeer Quad, and for the past three months he has been improving his skills. As you might remember, he had requested to work with Mew, and I had excused him from the meeting to do so. What you don't know, however, is the result of his work. As it turns out, he managed to solve the issue in one night."

Everyone began mumbling to each other and themselves, some voices incredulous, others disbelieving. Arceus asked for silence, which was given, then nodded to Mew who nodded back and took a deep breath, then floated out of her chair and hovered where everyone could see her. When she was in full view, she began to speak.

"Hello, everyone. You no longer have to worry about my childish antics, for I am finished with them. I will say I used them as a means to avoid my past, but it caused unnecessary, if hilarious, suffering. I have taken my position and responsibilities and attended to them, as I will from now on. And I owe it all to my savior, Alpha."

Everyone's attention moved to Alpha now, and it was only because of his training that he was able to keep a straight face. Then they looked back and forth between Mew, Alpha, and Arceus, until they broke out cheering like a bunch of college graduates, throwing some of the smaller legends into the air as replacement for hats, which of course earned them being attacked by the victims of unwarranted flying. When the noise settled down, Arceus went back to business.

"Now, because it has only been three months, we will skip the reports of recent events. At the next meeting, nine months from now, we will go back to it. For the moment, I wanted to check if anyone has any crises they feel must be attended to; I feel that the time has come to unleash my Knight to the lands and begin to spread the peace I have promised." Everyone began to mutter, yet again, because they were astonished at the prospect of this news. Nobody had anything to report, though, so Arceus turned to Alpha and said

"Since your training with the Musketeers is very near complete, or so they inform me, I wish for you to meet the maker of the sword you wield." He stood straight again and called out

"Where is Heatran?" Close to the back of the room came a gravelly voice that responded

"Here, Lord Arceus." Arceus nodded in reply and said

"Very well, the rest of you may return home. Heatran, I would appreciate if you would take Alpha under your wing, so to speak, and inform him about any details I might have overlooked with the sword." Heatran, who Alpha could see now, dipped his head in response and said

"As you wish, My Lord." Then everyone broke apart and Heatran and Alpha walked to each other, meeting in the middle. Heatran looked him up and down, then eyed the sword. He finally spoke, asking

"So, you are the one who was entrusted with that blade, eh?" Alpha nodded, and Heatran continued

"Well, the name's Heatran, in case you didn't get the memo. I am the one who forged that sword, which nearly killed me, so I hope you're puttin' it to good use." Alpha scratched his head nervously and replied

"Well, so far the only thing I've done with it is train with it, controlling the power it possesses. I haven't had reason to fully use it yet." Heatran nodded his strangely shaped head and responded

"Understandable. Though if I'm not mistaken, you should be setting out for your journey soon. Is that correct?" Alpha nodded and replied

"As long as nothing else comes up, yes." Arceus appeared next to them and asked

"Are you getting along?" Heatran looked up at him and said

"So far. Will you send me back to my home now? Your home is magnificent and all, but I miss the warmth of my volcano." Arceus nodded and replied

"Yes, but I will be transporting you to the outside of your dwelling because I wish for you to further enlighten my knight about his weapon, and I don't believe he would find the inside of a volcano very hospitable." Heatran rolled his eyes and said

"Fine. Let us be off!" A glow surrounded Arceus, then Alpha and Heatran, and after the usual disorientation of teleporting, Alpha found himself outside of Stark Mountain, the home of Heatran. They both thanked Arceus then proceeded inside. Heatran wanted to travel further in, but since he had to speak with Alpha for a while, he knew he wouldn't be able to.

"Okay, listen; I don't want to be insulting here, but I would rather get our chat over with now so I can return to my home, alright?" Alpha nodded and replied

"That's fine with me; I want to get started on my journey to help others." Heatran regarded him for a moment, then stated

"Noble of you. Alright, let's begin. First of all, yes, I am essentially the smith for the gods, no I can't do any smiting in this form. All Legends have a human form they can transform into if they need a disguise for a while, to lay low or something. It doesn't matter what I look like, so ignore it for now; you might learn the forms for the legends at some point anyway. The most important thing you need to know is the fact that the opal that makes up your pommel ain't a normal opal." Alpha smirked and said

"I kinda figured that out given that it switches colors." Heatran himself smirked and replied

"Yes, but what you probably don't know is that opal is infused with part of Arceus' being, which is why it's so colorful. Don't ask questions about that, I don't know how it works. If you have any other questions, ask now or else I'm done here." Alpha gathered his thoughts quickly and asked

"I only have two questions. The first is; what do these runes mean on the scabbard? Second, how do I use the technique that is comparable to Arceus' Judgement?" Heatran looked for a moment at the scabbard and read out

"'Only the chosen of pure heart and sound judgment may wield this sword of peace. Whosoever tries to draw this sword and does not meet this rule shall meet with a swift end.' This power will not affect legends, they simply will not be able to draw the sword. I suggest you keep your pokemon away from it unless they are simply bringing it back to you. Since the sword has recognized you as its wielder, only you will be able to draw it and utilize its power. As for your second question, I will not answer that. I know the technique, but you are not ready to handle that degree of power just yet. Continue at the rate you have been, and you will reach that level soon enough. Is that all, or have I raised more questions?" Alpha shook his head and replied

"No, I have the information that I need. Thank you for your time, Master Smith Heatran. I promise to use the sword only for its intended purpose and nothing more." Heatran nodded approvingly and told him

"Go get 'em, kid." Alpha smiled and took out Alfred's pokeball and released him, clambered onto his back and raised a hand in farewell to Heatran. Then they flew through the skies, keeping an eye out for any trouble on the ground.

**Okay, perfect place to end the chapter for now. You might not know, or realize it, but I **_**live **_**off of your reviews. Also, if you have any ideas about what kind of trouble Alpha can face up against, don't hesitate to write about it in your reviews or even PM me! I think five or six heads are better than one, so give me your ideas and I'll see what I can do. Peace out!**


	11. Ch 11: A Trip Down Memory Lane

Alpha had been flying around with Flygon for the past few hours over the Sinnoh region, but thus far they had seen no hint of trouble. Alpha told Flygon to land and said

"Maybe I'll have a better chance of finding trouble if I'm at ground level, so you go ahead and take a good rest, okay?"

Flygon nodded in agreement and allowed himself to be sucked into the ball, then Alpha took out six pokeballs and attached them to the portion of his belt that was designed to hang on to his pokeballs. He had taken out Rose, his Gardevoir; Lily, his Lilligant; Spark, his Jolteon; Blitz, the Charizard; Baxter the Lucario, and his Swampert that he had never named. After ensuring they were secure, he began to walk on. He hadn't taken ten steps before Rose popped out of her pokeball and hugged him, asking

"_Hello, Master, how are you? It's been a while since we talked, hasn't it?"_ Alpha rolled his eyes and told her

"Rose, if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, call me by my name. And you know, I can speak with you directly now. I would love to hear your voice out loud. Come on, speak to me." Rose blushed a bit before she actually opened her mouth and began talking to him directly.

"Okay, Alpha. How's this?" she asked, blushing harder. Alpha laughed silently and said

"Lovely. So, why do you keep popping out of your pokeball like that? _How _do you do it? I was under the impression that they were designed to keep a pokemon inside until they were released by their trainers or destroyed, thereby freeing the pokemon."

"That is mostly true, but if a pokemon has enough will in them, they can leave the pokeball anytime they want, they just can't break the bond that exists between them with the ball acting as a sort of bridge." She looked over at Alpha and smiled widely.

"Not that I would ever want to, though. I'm glad you are my trainer, even if I wasn't in the beginning." Alpha smiled, remembering the day he had met Rose.

_**Flashback/ 85-86 years ago…**_

Michael, then Brendan, had been traveling over the Hoenn region, fascinated by the multitude of new pokemon that were available for him to train with. He hoped to meet some particularly interesting ones. So far, he had his Marshtomp, which he was very happy to be with, as well as a Shroomish that had interested him. He had come across a cute little Zigzagoon that seemed to be more of a shadow than a pokemon. Finally, Brendan had given in and captured it. Recently he found a Wingull who had been bothering him for food. He had tried to throw a ball of rice at it but hadn't been paying attention what he threw, which turned out to be a pokeball instead. He sat there, stunned, as he watched it rock and finally stop, emitting a _click _when it was finished. He stood and slowly walked over to it, picked it up and stared at it dumbly. He turned it around and released his new Wingull, who looked rather sour about the predicament. Brendan chuckled nervously and said

"Sorry about that, this was what I meant to throw at you." And he brought out the rice ball he had tried to grab, which the Wingull happily and excitedly ate. As it chewed, Brendan had thrown caution to the wind and tried to pet the sea bird. At first it was a bit wary, then accepted his touch and squawked in what he believed was a request for more food. He provided it and offered his arm to the Wingull, who hesitated for a second before taking his new perch.

He walked down for ways, traveling along Route 104 to Rustboro City, taking on a few other trainers along the way. He made it to Rustboro just as the sun was setting. He planned to take his pokemon to the local Pokemon Center and grab a room for the night before he set out to do some training tomorrow. He had researched the town's gym leader, Roxanne, and he knew that while he had the type advantage, he would only cause himself trouble if he got cocky. So he would begin the regimen tomorrow and only challenge the gym when he was confident they could handle the challenge.

He walked around, searching for the Pokemon Center, when he heard a small but shrill scream rend the night air. He quickly turned in its direction, making his Wingull flop around since it had decided to sit on his shoulder, and he wondered what it was. He heard the scream again, a little more defined, though not by much, and it sounded somewhat like a pokemon cry. Then he heard a loud _smack _and the words

"Shut it, you brat!"

Without giving it a second thought, Brendan ran pell-mell to the source of the sounds he had heard, coming across a dark alley behind a large building. When his vision shifted, he saw a lanky but evil-looking man binding up a small, white, baby-like creature that had green hair and two red horns on its head, one at the front and the other at the back. Brendan took a step toward the oblivious man and shouted at him

"What do you think you're doing to that helpless pokemon?!" The man jolted up and turned to the intruder, and upon seeing a mere child in front of him, he started laughing and said

"What's it to you, brat? This Ralts is mine, and I'll do whatever I want with it!" Brendan took out his Pokedex and aimed it at the strange looking baby, whereupon it droned

"_Ralts, the Feeling Pokemon. The horns on its head provide a strong power that enables it to sense people's emotions."_ The Ralts looked over to the strange boy who she did not know, but might be able to help her. Of course, he might do the same thing this evil man was going to do, but she decided to take the risk for a chance at being saved.

"Ralts!" she cried out in a tiny voice, attempting to capture his attention. He looked at it and could see the panic in its red eyes, and he worried about it. The man leaned over it and slapped the side of its face, shouting

"I told you to shut it! Hey what do you think you're doing?!" he addressed the human who was slowly walking toward him, looking quite dramatic in the dim lighting. He growled

"I don't know who you are, nor do I care. Anyone who treats pokemon like that is less than scum in my book." He reached for the Wingull at his shoulder and it hopped onto his wrist. He lifted his hand into the air and helped the bird take off which promptly flew back to his side and hovered there, flapping its wings to do so.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Brendan glared darkly at the man and said coldly

"I'm going to teach you a lesson about the proper way to handle a pokemon, then I'll be taking that Ralts away from you. Wingull, Water Gun!" The Wingull quickly spat a stream of water that slammed into the man and knocked him back a few steps and making him splutter. Brendan shouted as he ran to the Ralts

"Keep it up, Wingull!" The Wingull spat stream after stream of water into the man's face, keeping him distracted and almost drowning him. When Brendan reached the Ralts, he kneeled by it and gently said

"I'm going to free you now, and I'll take you with me to testify against that guy. I'm going to make sure he's locked away for a while. Okay?" The Ralts had no idea what he meant, except for freeing her, and she sent him a few images that depicted what he had made her do and what she was going to be forced to do tonight if he hadn't come along. When she looked at him she could see tendons sticking out on his neck and several veins on his forehead. His teeth were clenched and he hissed under his breath

"Oh, if only I had the authority to give the death penalty…" She didn't know what that meant either, but she could feel the ropes loosening on her body. Then they fell free and she suddenly felt lighter than air and rising through it quickly, surrounded by two warm, soft pillars that proved to be the other human's arms. She tried touching his mind to see what was going through it, but all she could sense was a burning, hellish fury at the man he was approaching while his pokemon kept spitting water in his face. He looked up from her and said

"That's enough, Wingull!" The sea bird stopped spitting water, and as soon as the man finished hacking, the boy who had saved her ran forward and kicked her previous owner, hard, at the small of his back. The man fell forward with a cry of shock and pain, and he landed as hard as he had been kicked. He rolled to his side and was kicked in the stomach by her savior, knocking whatever wind he had regained out of him. He stared up at her savior to see malice lying within his eyes, and a worried expression took over her features.

"You're even lower than I thought. You belong in the Distortion World for _your _crimes. You're nothing short of a pokemon pimp, you lying, cheating, disgraceful son of a bitch!"

He didn't give the man time to respond to his rant but kicked him again, feeling a bit better by the abuse. He moved his arm away from the Ralts but still gave it plenty of support and held up another red and white ball. She was about to convey to him that she was already captured by the other man, but instead he called out another one of his pokemon, a strange blue, black and orange creature with a large stiff fin atop its head and two rubbery ones that made up its tail. She was handed off to this newcomer, and the boy who saved her told it

"Take care of her for a minute, okay? I need to work on something." The blue thing holding her nodded and stepped back a bit. The little Ralts watched as Brendan searched over the guy, mainly his belt. He took a pokeball off his body and held it up for the Ralts to see, asking

"Is this the ball he has you trapped in?"

She nodded, and he stood and dropped the pokeball to the ground, then started stomping his foot on it, breaking the thin metal ball apart easily. Once he finished, a light blue glow surrounded the Ralts and quickly faded away, signifying her freedom. He walked over to his Marshtomp and took her back into his arms. The man on the ground shouted

"I'll have you arrested for kidnapping my pokemon!" Brendan turned on him and shouted back

"Not before I have you arrested for abusing this pokemon that I _saved _from you!"

Without another word, he returned his Marshtomp and whistled his Wingull back to his shoulder. Then he walked up to the man, leaned over, and began to drag him through the city by the collar of his shirt, kicking and screaming the whole time. He found the Pokemon Center at last and quickly dragged the other guy there. He walked through the doors and went up to the desk, where the nurse on duty was stumped to see a kid walk through holding a Ralts with a Wingull on his shoulder like a pirate, dragging a full-grown man who was acting like he was younger than the boy dragging him around.

"I want to report a serious crime" the boy said. The nurse, caught off-guard, asked

"So, why did you come here?" Brendan responded

"I couldn't find the police station, and I want to have this Ralts looked at. As far as I can tell, it's been through a lot. Can you help?" The nurse hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said

"I can help with your Ralts, and I can call the police for you, but you'll have to keep him restrained." Brendan dragged the guy to a chair after handing off the Ralts to the nurse and slammed him down into one, not caring too much about his aim.

"No problem" he said, and he quickly fixed the man with a glare that sent shivers down the nurse's spine, despite the fact he wasn't glaring at her. She walked to the back room where they checked up on pokemon, calling the authorities along the way and warning them that this might be a strange case.

Ten minutes later, Brendan heard a few cars pull up and doors opening and closing. Then several officers in uniforms walked into the building and took in the scene before them; a kid who was giving an icy death glare at an adult who was cowering in his seat.

"What's going on here?" the lead officer asked. Before Brendan could answer his question, the man in the chair shouted

"Hey kidnapped my pokemon, he should be arrested and-oof!" The man had jumped up, pointing at Brendan, who had hit him squarely in the chest, sending him back into the chair. Then Brendan looked to the officers and said

"I liberated his pokemon after I learned that he has been physically and sexually abusing it." The officer scratched his head in confusion and worry, saying

"That's a pretty strong claim, kid. Do you have any evidence to back it up?"

"As soon as the pokemon gets back from being checked by the nurse, you can learn the story from it." The officer looked in some exasperation at his team, then fixed the kid with a look usually reserved for those under the age of five.

"Look, little boy, pokemon can't communicate with humans." Brendan crossed his arms and said

"Don't insult my intelligence, I know that. But this pokemon can speak to you through your mind, and it can give you its account." The officer rolled his eyes and said

"Alright, little boy, where are your parents?" Brendan shrugged and said

"My father is dead, but my mother lives in the Orre region." The officer stumbled a bit and said

"Bit far from home, ain't ya?" Before Brendan could respond, the nurse returned from the back with the Ralts.

"Excuse me, sir, but your pokemon is finished." The man screamed

"That's my pokemon!" but Brendan ran up to the desk and inspected the Ralts. He asked the nurse

"Is it alright?" The nurse amended him, saying

"Actually, it is a _she_. For the most part, she's okay, but she's a little malnourished, and I found some internal bruising in her mouth, but I have no idea what could cause it." The little Ralts blushed and Brendan flushed angrily. He calmed himself down and asked

"Is that all?" Here the nurse appeared uneasy.

"Not quite… I have this pokemon as recently having been released by way of destruction of pokeball. Do you know the story behind that?" Brendan nodded and said

"When she showed me what she had been suffering at the hands of that trainer cowering in the chair, I had my Wingull distract him by using Water Gun in his face while I untied this Ralts that he had bound up in rope. She touched my mind and showed me what she had been forced through, even at a young age, and I knew I had to release her. So I beat him down and found her pokeball, then stomped on it, releasing her. And now," he said, picking the Ralts up from the counter, walking to the lead officer

"I can prove my story. Go ahead, show him what you showed me" he encouraged the little Ralts. Humoring the child, the lead officer bent forward and had his head taken in by two small, white hands. In an instant, he began to see visions of what she had been put through, except she made them even more vivid for the benefit of the officer, and she covered more than she had with Brendan, wanting to make sure he got the full story. The officer stood back up when she was finished, his face hardened. He looked at the man who he had witnessed abuse her and ordered

"Arrest him. Take him down to the station and book him. He's going in for a long time. And as for you," he addressed Brendan, "good job." Brendan nodded and took the Ralts back up to the counter and asked Nurse Joy

"What happens now?" She thought for a moment and said

"Well, now that her previous owner is separated from her, would you like to adopt her?" Brendan's mouth fell open in shock and he said

"You can adopt pokemon? From a Pokemon Center?" The nurse giggled and said

"Yes, some trainers leave their pokemon at a Center because they can't or won't take care of them, and any pokemon that are separated from their trainers, for one reason or another, but don't wish to become wild can join the adoption option at a nearby Pokemon Center in the hopes of finding a new, loving trainer. Would you be interested in adopting this Ralts?" Brendan looked at the Ralts and told the nurse

"Only if she's willing to come with me. What do you say?" he asked her, genuinely caring about her decision.

The Ralts considered her options; she was originally found by that man who had mistreated her as a result of this adoption scheme. For all she knew, this trainer could be exactly like him and simply made a fancy show to get her. On the other hand, if she went wild, there was a chance she wouldn't even live to see the next sunrise. This trainer seemed good enough, and if she decided to stay at the Pokemon Center for adoption, she could end up in the same situation again, except this nice boy would likely not be here to save her. It was a tough choice to make, but she decided to do something before making her final choice. She beckoned to him to come a bit closer, and when his head was within her grasp, she lay her hands on his temples and tried to get an idea of who he was based off of his past. What she saw disturbed her yet eased her as well.

She could see vast, barren lands, and thriving cities and villages. She saw various pokemon, most of which she had never seen before, all of them off in some way. Then she saw a vision of a powerful dark purple bird that looked evil; standing next to it was an old man dressed in purple robes who seemed far more evil than the bird. Then the man was replaced by a boy wearing a yellow shirt and blue pants with spiky red hair, and she got the distinct impression that the selfsame boy was the one she held onto right now. The bird was replaced with another that was similar in shape and size but was white instead of purple, and it didn't feel so malicious anymore. Underlying it all was the purpose to protect any pokemon that came within the boy's grasp. Then she knew that she would be safe with him, but wanted to keep a careful eye out anyway.

She let go of his head and jumped into his arms, signaling that she wanted to go with him. Brendan and the nurse smiled at her, and after ten minutes Ralts was registered to Brendan and given the name Rose.

**I think it's a touching flashback, but it's also about time I stopped it there. The wordage on this one will probably make up for the last couple of chapters. I hope you all enjoyed this one. Please let me know what you think!**


	12. Ch 12: The Threat

…**Meh, just read.**

Alpha continued walking forward after having reminisced about the past he shared with Rose, and he wondered how she still looked so young.

"Part of it is because you kept all but six of us in stasis at a time. And it doesn't hurt that pokemon live longer life spans than humans." Alpha facepalmed and muttered

"Psychics…" This made Rose laugh, and soon Alpha joined in. They continued walking along, chatting about various events they had been a part of in the past, when suddenly there was a thundering _boom _that sent tremors through the earth beneath them. Rose fell over, but Alpha managed to stay on his feet. He helped Rose up and heard another _boom _and felt more shockwaves, though Rose managed to stay up this time. He looked at her and she looked at him, then they both asked simultaneously

"What was that?"

They stared at each other, shocked for a moment, but the next wave snapped their attention back where it belonged, to the situation at hand, whatever it was. Alpha closed his eyes and relaxed his stance so he could concentrate on the sounds but not have to worry about getting knocked over. He heard the dull _boom _again and tried to focus on its location. When he heard it again, he narrowed his search further and opened his eyes, seeing the path went in the direction of the beach. He began running that way, hoping to stop whatever was going on that seemed to be a threat.

When Alpha and Rose burst out onto the beach, Rose panting hard, Alpha only slightly winded, they saw a sight above all others. On the beach was a Wailord, and the booming sounds they had heard was it attempting to get back into the water and failing, which also explained the shockwaves. Alpha ran up to it and asked

"What happened to you?" The massive whale took a large breath that sounded labored and replied

"I was searching for the rest of my pod. We were separated a while back, and while I tried to find them, I was attacked by a pack of Sharpedo. I fled for shallower waters, but they managed to hurt me anyway. I have been stuck here all morning. Please, can you do anything to help me?" Alpha smiled widely and said

"Don't worry, we'll help you get back into the water." Rose looked at him askance.

"We will?" Alpha turned to her and said

"Of course! It's my job now as the White Knight to help anyone who needs it, and I would say this poor beached Wailord definitely needs our help." He turned to the Wailord and asked

"Before we begin, what's your name?" The Wailord took another labored breath and replied

"I am known as Mark." Alpha nodded and said

"Nice to meet you, Mark. Let's get started." Then he reached into his bag and pulled out two more pokeballs and threw them up to release the pokemon inside. When the lights settled, what was revealed was his Alakazam, Louie, and Starmie. He told them both

"Okay guys, this beached Wailord was injured and needs our help before being sent back into the water. I want Louie to take the front, Starmie you got his left, and Rose, you take the right. Then when I give the signal, you all use Recover. Understand?"

Louie and Rose vocally confirmed their affirmative, and Starmie gave off a series of beeps and bops.

"_Hmm, I figured that would mean something I could understand when I got to talk to pokemon. Oh well."_

His pokemon took their positions, Louie levitating in front of Mark's face and placing both spoons against his skin. Rose took his right and put her hands against his side. Starmie had flown of in its special manner, by spinning the two pieces of its body in different directions, and stuck itself to Mark's left side near his fore fin. Alpha waited until everyone was in their position. When they were, he shouted

"Now!" Then the psychics began concentrating their energy to healing this Wailord. After about five minutes, all of his wounds had healed up and he looked better because of it.

"Thank you," he said, "that feels much better."

Alpha nodded and looked at his exhausted pokemon, then called them all back to rest, thanking them all for their work. Then he drew his sword and summoned the power of water and swung it, releasing a torrent over the whale. Mark sighed in contentment and thanked him again. Alpha only nodded before concentrating to a level he only gained because of Terrakion's training. He focused on the water that made up the ocean and raised his sword, calling out to it. He tried to force the water to come to him and return the unfortunate whale to his briny home. Unfortunately he couldn't make it work, and he figured he _might _be able to summon that power after learning Judgement with his sword. Until then, however, he needed a better plan. He took out multiple pokeballs now and threw them all up in the air. Out popped his Espeon, Slowbro and Slowking, Hypno, Exeggutor, Mr. Mime, Xatu, Girafarig, Jynx, Grumpig, Solrock and Lunatone, Claydol, Metagross, and Bronzong, and addressed them all at once.

"Okay, everybody I need you all to use psychic and get this Wailord back into the sea." They all looked apprehensively at the Wailord and back at Alpha. He knew they were worried, but they were also loyal, so he did not worry about an uprising. He drew his sword again and focused on psychic. After the opal turned purple, he raised it and directed it at the Wailord and said

"Now!"

Everyone's eyes began glowing blue, and a blue aura surrounded Mark. Slowly but surely, he rose into the air by about half a foot, then began to float back. When he was about fifty feet out, their strength failed them and Mark dropped into the ocean, creating a small tidal wave that came up to them and lapped lightly at their feet. Mark twirled in the water and raised a flipper in farewell, then dove back beneath the waves. Everyone sighed and flopped onto the beach, amazed by their success. Alpha stood back up and sheathed his sword, then retrieved the pokeballs and thanked his friends for their help, telling them all to take a nice long rest. After he finished returning them all, he heard Arceus' voice behind him say

"Nicely done, there." Alpha turned to face him and said

"Thank you. Did you see the whole thing?" Arceus nodded and told him

"Yes, and I was worried when you tried to control the ocean's waters to reclaim him. You are not yet at the level to do that, so please don't attempt it again." Alpha bowed and said

"I apologize, My Lord. I wanted to see if I could handle the problem myself before burdening my friends with the task." Arceus cocked his head and asked

"Wouldn't it have been easier to put him in a pokeball and then release him farther into the ocean?" Alpha thought about it for a moment, then replied

"It might have, but I think he might have lost his trust in me if I made it look like I was trying to capture him. This way may have been harder, but I feel it will go a longer way to gaining everyone's trust." Arceus contemplated this for a second, then said

"Well, no matter. The deed is done and you have succeeded. I am proud of you, Alpha, but you are needed elsewhere right now." Alpha's gaze grew brighter as a new light of determination flared up.

"Where do I need to go?"

"Kanto. Mewtwo is creating problems against humankind again, and I think you will be the one to put a stop to it." Alpha stood up and blanched, saying

"Kanto? It'll take a week to reach there, and I know you can't keep teleporting us everywhere. All my psychics are tired right now, and it makes no sense to try and heal them all at once." Arceus nodded and said

"Don't worry, while they rest in your pack their energy is restored. The effect takes more time with more pokemon, but it will still get the job done by the time you reach Kanto. I would start now, by the way. Mewtwo's vendetta against the humans grows stronger, and he will want to be rid of them as soon as possible. Do you have any questions before we take our leave?" Alpha thought for a second, then asked

"When I arrive in Kanto, may I have Mew accompany me?" Arceus frowned and asked

"Why?" Alpha took a deep breath and began to say

"Since Mewtwo is a clone of Mew, maybe she can put some reason into him." Arceus shook his head and responded

"That will not work. Even if we ignore the fact that Mewtwo won't listen to reason, both he and Mew have a sort of bitter rivalry, though she did not condone it. She actually wants to be close to her son, but he keeps pushing her away, or more accurately, shoving her away. If you bring Mew along, I fear it will cause him to become further enraged. Is that your only request?" Alpha bowed and said

"Yes, my Lord."

"Very well, then. You must be on your way if you are to stop him in a timely fashion."

Alpha bowed again and called out his Altaria, climbed onto her back and asked her to fly toward the Kanto region. She spread her cottony wings and lifted off without much difficulty. Her flights were usually slow but guaranteed on stay on course, no matter what the weather was like. Alpha patted her on the neck gratefully and focused on what he knew about Mewtwo.

He remembered that Team Rocket had created him during his lifetime as a means of taking over the world, but they lost control of him and he began a campaign against all humans, believing them to be terrible creatures. It was said he had a savage heart that would never know compassion. But something had happened. He didn't know the full details of it, but he had heard a rumor that some kid had gotten involved with Mewtwo's campaign, or something like that, and made him see the error of his ways. Then he had flown off to learn the meaning of compassion.

Evidently he had grown bored of that. Come to think of it, Alpha hadn't seen a sign of Mewtwo at either of the meetings he had been to. Mewtwo was surely a Legend, but did Arceus forbid him from attending the meetings? If so, that would explain his anger, and since he couldn't exactly challenge the gods, he would take it out on his old foe, human beings. The only chance he had was directly challenging Mewtwo and taking him down while his pokemon took care of the army he had gathered. He wasn't happy with the idea, but he knew it had to be done. This would be another test of his knighthood, but it was not going to be easy. Then again, if he was honest with himself, when he had heard Arceus say "Mewtwo" he knew that dark times were ahead of him. All he could do was continue his mental training and sharpen his swordsmanship.

**One week later…**

When Alpha arrived in Kanto, he was riding his Pidgeot. He landed in Saffron City and recalled him and went into the Pokemon Center to heal some of his pokemon. After he finished that, he went outside and began to study a map of Kanto, trying to figure out where Mewtwo might be located. He eyed Cerulean Cave, thinking it would be the best place to start.

"Well, it's a possibility, but I doubt he would be hiding there" said a female voice he recognized, making him jump and whirl around to face the big blue eyes of Mew.

"Hello!" she said brightly. Alpha regained his breath and asked

"I thought you weren't supposed to be here?" Mew blinked and replied

"Yes, Arceus did say that, but I reasoned that I was the only one who would be able to defend you from his attacks since your friends are going to be busy with his army, and your skill level isn't quite at the point where you can deflect his attacks with impunity. Even _I _have difficulty doing it. But I think if we work together we can put a stop to his insidious plans and make him compassionate. I want to be able to speak directly with my son, but he won't listen." Alpha frowned for a moment, then wondered

"Is he actually your son, or do you just consider him your son?" Mew thought for a second, then responded

"Since he was cloned from my DNA, he is like a son to me. Because he wasn't born naturally, though I wish he were, he is considered my clone. This thought is painful to him, and he is nearly as strong as I am. Team Rocket tried to breed him to be stronger than me, but they only managed to get him to where he is now. As a result, he strives to become more powerful than me but has yet to succeed. For now, though, why don't we teleport to Cerulean Cave and see if your hunch is correct? I have visited him on a number of occasions so I know where to go." Alpha nodded and packed up his stuff, then faced Mew and told her

"I'm ready." Mew then closed her eyes and began to glow, then they disappeared.

**Ask and ye shall receive. I got a request from a viewer to turn Mewtwo into a troublemaker, and since I didn't really have any other ideas, I decided to work with it. It might not be what you expected, and if it isn't I apologize. If you like it, though, then please let me know! It helps to know that your readers appreciated your hard work and dedication to the art of the fanfic (and some of you out there probably know what I mean). Anyway, review and tell me what you think!**


	13. Ch 13: His History

**Okay, this next chapter I will be using actual dates, at least in the sense of months, days and years, but I will be ignoring real-life events. For any of you who are flabbergasted at the space-time continuum deal, don't worry, I don't have a perfect grasp on it myself. The way I have this planned out, it will seem like the future, but I'm still following the game as a base. So, just bear with me and read on, then review afterwards, please.**

When Mew and Alpha finished teleporting, Alpha looked around and saw the inside of Cerulean Cave. He had been there before, but never this deep. He knew he was down very far because the only light came from the numerous glowing crystals that grew down here. Despite the poor lighting, it was a very attractive setting, and Alpha figured if Mewtwo wasn't living here, it would be an interesting spot to make a residence. Mew searched around with her mind quickly and said

"He's not here, and hasn't been for a while. I give it about a week, maybe two." Alpha nodded and began walking around, saying

"Then let's look for any evidence that might give us an idea of where he might be." Mew complied and began flying around the room, looking over the massive boulders that could easily be used to walk around on. Alpha walked around the area doing the same, grateful to Mew that they had avoided the maze. That was the reason Alpha never made it to this level, when he was Red, because the cave maze was too large and he had been busy at the time.

Now, he didn't have all the time in the world to be searching around like this, but at least he didn't have to waste any time navigating that perilous maze. He could see thanks to the crystal's glow that this floor, the bottom floor he presumed, was made up of several large shelves of rock with water running between the deeper portions of the cave. He called to Mew and said

"Can you lift me up? I want to scope the whole thing in one go, if possible."

Mew flew over and her eyes began glowing blue. Then Alpha began to feel weightless as he floated in midair, feeling giddy and apprehensive at the same time. When he reached his maximum height, just short of hitting the ceiling, he began looking over the cave, and he could see that around the middle was a particularly flat shelf of rock that was surrounded by jagged glowing crystals. He also saw, in the right top corner, give or take due to his position, a pile of crystals that seemed oddly straight and lumped together. They also weren't glowing as strongly as the rest of the crystals within the cave. He pointed this effect out to Mew and they began their descent to the shelf.

When they landed, Mew released her hold on Alpha and let him jump down gently. Then she sniffed the air and said

"Mewtwo's scent is stronger here. This must be where he rests."

Alpha moved over to the collection of dim crystals he had seen before and observed them closely. At first he couldn't make any sense of it since his vision was still a little obscured. Then his vision shifted to accommodate the crystal's glow, and the crystalline pile in front of him became more defined.

It appeared to be a collection of smoothed, shaped crystals, some brighter than others, most toward the bottom almost completely out. He picked up the bottommost one after shifting the pile around carefully and studied it.

It had the shape of a tablet, he now realized, and there were numerous scratches on it that seemed sloppily carved. After staring at the tablet for a few minutes, he realized that the scratches were actually runes, more specifically English lettering! He started at the top and began to read.

_Friday, June sixth, 1952._

_Escaped from those Rocket bastards, destroyed their precious factory in the process. Blinded by anger and need to destroy them, too. Especially Giovanni, the one responsible for my creation. Then when I'm finished with them, I will hunt down Mew and destroy her, proving that I am the strongest in the universe!_

Alpha stared dumbly at the crystal tablet he held until Mew flew next to him, asking

"Whatcha got there?" Alpha closed his mouth and faced her incredulously, saying

"I think I just found Mewtwo's journal entries or something!" Mew's eyes widened in shock, and she replied

"I didn't know Mewtwo was one to keep a journal! Then again, there's a lot I don't know about my son…" Alpha carefully set aside the one he had been holding and picked up what he thought was the next one, being just as faded as the first.

_Monday, June ninth, 1952._

_I can't hold back any longer, Team Rocket must be destroyed! I am currently creating an army to march against them, then against humans in general. They are all scum and deserve to die for persecuting me! And at the last, they will realize the enormity of their mistake in creating me! They will all pay!_

Mew and Alpha stared at the tablet, then at each other. They couldn't believe what they had just read! Quickly Alpha scrambled for the next entry while Mew set aside the previous one. Alpha found it with a triumphant shout and straightened up. Then both he and Mew began to read.

_Wednesday, June twenty-fifth, 1952._

_After my battle with Mew, and the events that followed, I left for a home to call my own while I tried to soothe my savage heart. I decided on this cave, known to the humans as Cerulean Cave. I took residence in the bottommost floor in the hopes that I could find peace while I work. I have released my cloned army to the wilds after removing the markings that label them as my creations. I cannot purge the memories of what happened last out of my mind; that foolish child who tried to stop Mew and I from fighting, and dying and petrifying as a result. His Pikachu had refused to fight against the clone I made of him to specifically destroy him. Of course, that's what I did for the majority of his pokemon, and the plan had been running as expected. With the exception, of course, of that one Pikachu. I couldn't understand it, he was repeatedly attacked by his clone, but he refused to raise a hand even in defense. That served to fuel my anger in my fight against Mew, yet despite that I could not best her. She was babbling the entire time about her anger at my creations, but also her willingness to forgive me. I can't make sense of it at this time, so I shall further contemplate on it._

Alpha set aside this one and grabbed the next, wondering what it could possibly say now.

_Tuesday, August tenth, 1952._

_I believe I am beginning to understand better. I remember stopping my fight with Mew and watched as the Pikachu who refused to fight tried to revive his owner. He had even resorted to shocking him. I scoffed at the idea, knowing it was useless, and I contacted his mind and informed him that it was pointless, his precious owner was dead. He refused to believe it, however and continued to fire electric attacks at him. I watched in astonishment as all the other pokemon, including my cloned versions, paused in their battling to watch the events in front of them unfold. When Pikachu finally gave up, he began to cry. This shocked me as well. I wasn't aware that this Pikachu had cared for his owner so much. I heard various sniveling sounds behind me and turned to inspect it. I could see that the rest of the boy's pokemon were beginning to cry themselves, then the other human's pokemon joined in, and before I knew it, the entire battlefield had become a sob fest! Mew was even crying over the boy! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! Then Mew began to murmur under her voice, and the tears from everyone involved began to swirl around the young child, and in a matter of moments he was revived! Mew had used her power and channeled the emotions of everyone present to heal the boy. Once I saw this happen, I didn't know what to think, except that I had to leave to process this development. I took with me all of the cloned pokemon and flew off into the night, searching for a place to reside. I eventually found this cave and proceeded to free the clones, making sure they knew that they were free. I began these journal entries as a way to document my past, as well as events that had recently happened. I do not know if I will use them on a day-to-day basis yet, but I suppose only time will tell._

_Saturday, December twenty-fifth, 1952._

_Mew visited me today, holding something behind her back. She greeted me a "Merry Christmas" I believe she called it. I told her to leave me alone. She ignored me, however, and began to situate herself in my home. Getting annoyed, I asked her what she was doing in my domain. She responded_

"_No one should be alone on Christmas, especially not when it comes to family, and you are my son, after all!"_

_After I got over the shock of being called her son, I began screaming at her to leave immediately, lest I destroy her in my quest to become more powerful than her, she was not my mother, she never would be, and to leave me alone. She burst out crying and flew off, leaving the item she had brought with her. Without a second thought I threw it with my psychic powers to the far side of the cave, into the water. I needed nothing from no one! I was self-sufficient and would remain that way! Still, I can't get the image of Mew crying out of my head. Something seems… wrong with me._

As Alpha picked up the next entry, he noticed that Mew had flown off to the other end of the cave, probably searching for the present she had given him. She came back empty-handed, however, and began to read the next entry with him.

_Thursday, January twelfth, 1953._

_It has been a couple of weeks, and I believe I am suffering from guilt, as the humans call it. I don't know the full details about it yet, but from what I understand so far, it is an emotion experienced when someone feels they have done something wrong. What follows is something I haven't looked into yet, other than the name; remorse. I retrieved the item that Mew had brought with her and inspected it. It was a box of some sort, pretty well fallen apart due to being in the water for an extended period of time. It was, or had been, wrapped in brightly colored paper, remnants of it still stuck. What hadn't been touched by the water was a velvety ribbon that held the package together since it encompassed it, but barely. Unsure what to do next; I have decided to let it sit overnight._

_Friday, January thirteenth, 1953._

_The package now dry, I removed the ribbon which impedes me from opening the box, or what's left of it anyway. when removed, the box essentially falls apart, revealing a strange item. It looks to be some sort of box that is brightly colored. I ran my hand across it to check if this was more colorful wrapping, but it wasn't. There appeared to be ink on it, but due to it sitting in the water, it ran, so it was no longer legible. I opened up the box to find a thick cardboard piece that was severely wrinkled. I could barely make out some strange patterns on it which made no sense. I also saw small metal toys come along with it, accompanied by smaller slips of paper that were differently colored and had varying sizes. The ink on the stronger ones had run, making them worthless, and the thinner papers were completely destroyed. I had no idea what it was, so I inspected the original package to see if there was anything else, but the only thing I found was a pink-purple envelope that had somehow survived. I opened it as I had seen some of the Rocket scientist do with similar, if larger, versions. Inside was a card of sorts that seemed to open up to reveal what I assumed was to be a picture, but because of my actions it had disappeared. I was truly stumped now, because I didn't know what it was or what to do with it. But I didn't want to throw it away because I believed that would make me feel worse, and I was getting very irritated now by these troublesome emotions. So I created a small cavern in the back of my dwelling and have stored the… gift into it. _

Mew shot toward the back of the cave and began to look for the opening he had mentioned. With a shout, she found it and dove in. A moment later she brought out the selfsame object that had been causing Mewtwo misery from the beginning. Alpha couldn't figure out what it was any more than Mewtwo could have, but he believed it might have been a board game due to its shape.

"Mew, what is that?" Alpha asked her. She looked up at him and replied

"It's a board game, Monopoly. I thought we could play it together, you know, when I was still acting like a child. I didn't know he had thrown it in the water and left it for two weeks, then kept it this whole time. I do remember he apologized to me later, though. He still didn't want anything to do with me, but he wanted to get that off his conscious."

They shifted through some more of the tablets and sat down, engrossed in Mewtwo's history.

**Alright, that actually turned out well, or at least better than I expected. I didn't care if the days actually land on where I say they did. If they do, it's purely coincidence. Anyway, review or Pm me! I'm still looking for ideas, and I can't draw this one out forever, so talk to me soon!**


	14. Ch 14: Beg For Mercy!

**Okay, goin' strong! I love the motivation I get when I read your reviews, so please, let me have it! * pie thrown in face * Ha ha, guys, very funny. Wait till I sic Mewtwo on you suckers!**

Alpha and Mew had been reading Mewtwo's tablets all day and were getting close to finishing the pile. Alpha picked up the second to last one and began to read.

_Friday, December eleventh, 2015._

"_Hmm, that's a week and a half back" _thought Alpha, then continued reading.

_My anger at the humans has returned in full. They have been moving around for some reason I cannot name, but I have been hearing rumors that Team Rocket is making a comeback. I cannot ignore the fact that I am only here because of their meddling in forces beyond their control. I won't stand for this, I will ensure they are defeated. I have recruited the local cave pokemon to fight with me, as well as some from different regions. At least Rocket won't see _that _coming. I don't know where they're moving into, and when I checked their last hideout, it had long since been cleared away since I destroyed it. I have lost sympathy for many humans because they are interested in the crap Rocket spits out, mostly about world domination and governance, as well as the promise of wealth. Humans have always had a soft spot for that which they don't need. I will be scouting for Rocket's location, and when I find it, I will move my army to intercept it, then I will be rid of them at last. Given the nature of humans, I don't expect Giovanni to still be around. Lucky for him, too, or else he would know the meaning of pain, the same I had suffered all those years under him! And once I'm finished with Rocket, I'll show those pathetic humans the error of their ways once and for all. They refuse to learn on their own; they act like children so they must be treated as such._

Alpha looked up from the crystal tablet and ran a hand through his hair, giving a big sigh.

"Geez, when will they ever give up?" he said to no one.

"What do you mean?" Mew asked him.

"Well," he began "when I first came to Kanto, nigh on eighty-five years ago, Team Rocket was a new thing. All anyone would talk about was Team Rocket, and they had even been very forward with their goals; to steal other people's pokemon to create an army to dominate the world. I didn't like how that sounded, so I started working against them. If I'd had my original team from Orre, I could have crushed them in no time. As it was, I met up against Giovanni a few times. He was a devious man, ambitious too. He was determined to issue new world order and be at the front of it. I managed to beat him every time we met, and when I beat him for the final time, as he was the current gym leader of Viridian City, he vowed to give up Team Rocket."

As he set aside the tablet he was holding and picked up the last one he said

"About three to five years later, they tried to make a comeback, but were thwarted by another child, if I remember correctly. Then it was believed they had finally given up in their ambitions for worldwide control. But it seems now that they've been waiting for a more opportune time to strike. Maybe this last tablet will shed a bit of light on the situation." And with that Mew and Alpha began to read.

_Monday, December twenty-first, 2015._

"That's today!" Mew shouted out, then they kept reading.

_I finally learned where Rocket is hiding. They have situated themselves in Mt. Moon, between Cerulean and Pewter City. Since it's not a dreadfully long trip, we were able to afford time to check back on everything to make sure we have what we need. I won't be caught off-guard this time around, not by Rocket. We are going to leave soon, the only reason I will be here in my cave is to leave this journal entry, and possibly to look at Mew's gift again. I almost wish I knew what it was, but maybe it's better I don't. I had apologized before, but my anger and impatience still had a tight reign over me, so it was pretty much like before. But she's always acted so childish. It can be very annoying. Maybe I'll talk to her if we meet up again, that is, if I don't wind up dead from this assault. We'll see what happens._

Alpha looked up from this last tablet and said

"Mt. Moon, huh? I guess we better get going."

"_I don't think so" _said an intimidating male voice. Alpha whirled around to see Mewtwo, glaring at him with a look of cold fury.

"_How dare you invade my home and read matters that do not pertain to you, human?!"_

"Mewtwo, that's enough!" Mew shouted out floating in front of Alpha, giving him time to draw his sword. Mewtwo waved his hand and sent Mew flying away.

"_Stay out of my way. My business lies with the human." _He saw the sword Alpha wielded in his hand and sneered.

"_That flimsy hunk of metal won't help you." _And he fired a powerful Shadow Ball at him. He concentrated on Dark, and mentally commanded the blade to be covered in its essence. Then he stepped forward and slashed at the dark blob hurtling toward him, splitting it into two before it faded out of existence. Mewtwo stared, dumbstruck.

"Maybe a regular sword wouldn't help," Alpha stated, raising it to eye level. "but this is hardly your average sword." Mewtwo scowled and fired a Dark Pulse at him. He focused on Fighting this time and summoned its power. He knocked the Dark Pulse aside and into the wall on his right. Now Mewtwo was getting pissed.

"_Fine, try deflecting this!"_ he shouted, attacking Alpha with his strongest Psychic.

Alpha used the power of darkness and covered himself with it, and before Mewtwo could recover sent a wave of it at him, knocking him back, but only by a step. He growled menacingly and began to fire Shadow Balls, Dark Pulses and Psychics all at once. Alpha settled on Dark and either deflected or dodged the Dark Pulses, split the Shadow Balls and rendered Psychic useless. Finally Mew came in and blasted Mewtwo with her combination Shadow Pulse. As Mewtwo hit the ground, she floated above him and told him firmly

"We are not your foe. We came in the understanding that you were waging war against innocent humans and to stop you." Mewtwo scoffed as he stood and replied

"_I have changed. I no longer wage war without a good reason. Team Rocket refuses to lie down and die, so now they must be fully eradicated if they are to be truly stopped."_

"No. Killing them is not the answer. Didn't you learn the first time that death doesn't pan out in your favor?" Mewtwo's scowl deepened and he asked

"_Since when did you start making sense? I remember you acting as a child all of the time."_ Mew straightened and said

"I have recently come to terms with my past, which is what caused that behavior. I have assumed my responsibilities due to my post and done away with my antics. However, I still consider you my son and I would like to establish that relationship properly." Mewtwo scoffed again and began to brush himself off, saying

"_Ridiculous. I am not a child of yours, I am merely a clone of you, meant to destroy and take over the world. How could you possibly call a monstrosity such as myself your child?"_ Mew floated closer to him and said

"You might be a cloned pokemon, but you were cloned directly from my DNA, so that makes you more my son than a monstrosity in my eyes. By the way, that was a board game I had gotten you all those years ago." Mewtwo's eyes narrowed, and he said

"_So you pried into my business as well. I figured as much, and I do not appreciate it. However, I have more important matters to attend to. I will deal with you later, and your human pet, too."_ Before he could teleport, Mew caught him by the hand and told him

"He is not a pet. He is the White Knight, Arceus' knight, here to help those among the pokemon and humans who need it." Mewtwo turned his scowl to Alpha and sneered

"_Is that so? No matter, I still have other things to take care of at the moment. I will deal with you both later."_

"We are coming with you" Alpha told him. Mewtwo turned his attention to him again and hissed

"_You presume to tell me what you think is going to happen? You must be a beginner since you don't know to respect your elders."_

"Oh, I'm sorry, who's ass just got kicked by a beginner?" Alpha mocked Mewtwo, smiling snidely. Mewtwo growled at him, but Alpha wasn't fazed. He told him

"I have dealt with Team Rocket before, and I know how they operate. Besides which, I have many pokemon who are my friends and can substantially increase your army. However, you must agree not to kill anyone, no matter the circumstances, the only exception being in a life-or-death matter, and to hear us out when this is over." Mewtwo's face split into rage as he screamed

"_I recognize no master, and certainly not a brat such as yourself! I will do as I please, which includes eradicating Team Rocket as I should have done when I escaped. No one can stop me, not even you, Mew."_ Before either Alpha or Mew could stop him, he teleported off to Mt. Moon. Alpha and Mew looked at each other, and Alpha sadly shook his head and told her

"If he won't work with us, then we'll have to work against him. We'll stop his army and finish Team Rocket, making sure they all end up in high-security prison. Then we reason with Mewtwo and make him see the error of _his _ways." Mew looked nervous as she said

"I hope you don't expect me to enter the battle; I could never harm my own children." Alpha frowned and asked

"So what was that attack you used against Mewtwo, a feather duster?" Mew hung her head and replied

"That had to be done, or else nothing would have gotten through. As for the rest of my children, I won't battle. I will consent to defend you from impending attacks, but beyond that you are on your own." Alpha nodded and said

"Fine. Let's go to Mt. Moon." Mew then teleported the two of them to Mt. Moon to end Mewtwo's plans and Team Rocket's reign of terror.

**Alright, I'm just gonna end it here for now. Please review!**


	15. Ch 15: True Strength

**Alright, this will be a major showdown between Alpha, his pokemon, and Mewtwo with his army. Then they have to take on Team Rocket. Boy, doesn't that sound like fun?**

As Alpha and Mew teleported outside of Mt. Moon, they winced in the harsh sunlight that beamed down on them and took the time to let their eyes adjust. Once they could look ahead of them, they began searching for Mewtwo and his army. There was no sign of them, so Mew checked their surroundings and reported

"He's not here yet." Alpha nodded and said

"That's good." Then he began to release all of his pokemon so they could join in the fight. When everyone was present and accounted for, he called out to catch their attention and said

"Okay, we have a pokemon army to fight against. They are currently being led by Mewtwo." When Mewtwo's name was mentioned, everyone present began to mutter among themselves. Then Alpha got their attention again and told them

"All I need you to do is take down his army. Mew and I will handle Mewtwo ourselves. Everyone got it?"

All his pokemon cheered for him, knowing he was a master strategist, and it never took long for a newcomer to their family to trust him in whatever he said, especially since he never lied to them. Even if the answer was something they didn't want to hear, he would tell them because they all deserved the truth. So when he said that he would be the one to take on Mewtwo, and only with Mew to accompany him, they knew he meant it.

"Okay, everybody get in formation of ranks, five across and seven deep! The rest of you take cover in the surrounding landscape. Flyers, I want you in the air for aerial support and lookout! Rose, connect your mind to the leader of the group and stand by my side until the battle begins! Let's move!"

All the pokemon began following his orders. Every flying pokemon in the group took wing and disappeared soon after. Since they had better eyesight than most, they could remain out of the way, until the battle began at least, and keep multiple sharp eyes out for the enemy. Most of the pokemon who joined the ranks were close-range fighters, Fighting, Dark, others Fire or Water, even a few Steel. The majority of those who hid among the landscape were distance fighters, generally Psychics, Ghost, Water, Electric and Grass.

"You make a great Sergeant" Mew told him.

"Years of practice" replied Alpha. Mew looked at him, astonished as he drew his sword and began to practice his technique.

"What do you mean years of practice? You've done this before?" As he settled on a type to practice its moves, he responded

"Not quite, but we did practice the idea in the event that something would happen. I was a bit paranoid after having defeated seven evil syndicates, so I decided to prep us for any army that came after us. We planned for each possibility, even death if it came to that." Mew blanched and she whispered

"You were prepared for any deaths while battling?" Alpha straightened and looked her in the eye. Then he told her

"I'm _nothing _if not precise and thorough. I know we don't last forever, and my pokemon are no exception. Even now, I have a Charizard who's getting on in years but refuses to acknowledge it. I don't want him, or any of my friends for that matter, to go. But I know that Arceus cannot grant everyone eternal life; I was a special case, and it will only last so long as I remain his knight. If I stray from that path, he will strip me of my given title and I will age rapidly until I hit my true age, which at this point is going on one hundred, which is actually quite a feat for most humans."

He stared forward for a few seconds, then chuckled.

"You know, I remember when children would cheer and celebrate because they or a friend hit the 'double-digits'. Then it becomes a celebration for turning sixteen, then eighteen, and finally twenty-one. After that, it's not really a big deal anymore. But if you manage to hit the 'triple-digits', you are regarded like a god or something. It's stupid, but at the same time it's very touching."

He focused on something in his mind, then thrust his sword upward, shooting off a dark lump that could be mistaken for Shadow Ball.

"So, what about you?" Alpha asked Mew.

"You participate in any major battles yet?" Mew shook her head and replied

"No, not really. I have _seen _them, mostly between Dialga and Palkia, and even Arceus stays away from that. Otherwise, people didn't want me around since I was a destructive force of nature and, above all else, unreliable. I couldn't be trusted with a weapon given my… sporadic nature."

Alpha nodded and swiped his sword before him in a loop and created an intense ring of fire that faded away moments later. Then he made a sweeping motion in a sort of circle and created a whirlwind. Before it could get out of hand, he called upon the power of Ice and swung at the air before him, stopping the flow in its tracks.

"You're getting handy with that" Rose commented. Alpha stood up straight and began to scratch the back of his head, saying

"Thanks, but I'm really gearing up towards learning that Judgement technique. Besides the fact that it's the last technique I can use with this sword, it also means I have become the most powerful I can. That will be very satisfying." Then Rose closed her eyes and bent her head forward, concentrating on a new development. She opened her eyes and told Alpha

"The enemy has been spotted; they're moving to our position." Alpha nodded and said

"Okay, get some cover on you and wait for my signal." Rose nodded and ran off to an area covered by tall bushes. He faced Mew and asked

"Are you ready for this?" Mew seemed nervous, and she stated

"I'm not sure. Again, I've never been in battle before, and I don't want to harm my children, so the most I can do is defend."

"That'll be fine; once we take down Mewtwo, the army should surrender" Alpha assured Mew.

"Unless he's told them to fight to the death." Alpha shook his head, disagreeing, and said

"No, I don't think so. I wouldn't put it past him, but if you were ordered by a strange pokemon that _wasn't _Arceus to fight to the death, would you follow that order?" Mew thought for a second, then faced forward and replied

"Good point. So all we do is restrain him, right?" Alpha nodded and said

"Yup." Then they waited for another ten minutes before the first sight of the enemy came into the ground troops' view. It was Mewtwo himself, leading the army he had gathered to eradicate Team Rocket. He surveyed the scene ahead of him and called out

"_You are a bigger fool than I took you for to challenge me like this!"_ Alpha raised his voice and shouted back

"No, _you_ are the fool for not accepting my offer! I never planned to let Team Rocket skip away merrily, but now we have to fight you off and then challenge Team Rocket, unless you are willing to join ranks and fight together." Mewtwo scowled heavily and replied

"_No chance, human! You have challenged my authority, and the punishment for that must be exercised! Attack!"_ Mewtwo's army began to charge them, and Alpha sighed, then raised his sword above his head and released a large plume of fire, shouting

"Charge!" The ranks ran forward to meet up with Mewtwo's waves, and they all clashed together with a loud, horrible sound. Instantly there were the noises of colliding attacks, punches thrown, and pokemon falling back interspersed with ruffling feathers now that the flyers had joined the fray. Attacks flew out from the trees and the ledges up high as the distance fighters started to attack. Alpha ran through the fight, occasionally sending a Shadow Ball or a Dark Pulse at an enemy pokemon, as well as deflecting various attacks from the same. What he missed Mew deflected for him, floating above him to stay clear of the fight. She was also searching for Mewtwo with her mind so they could end this as soon as possible. After a time, Mew shouted

"Alpha, he's on your right, about ten yards away!" Alpha immediately changed his course and ran on, intending to end this battle before he lost anyone. He didn't expect it to happen, but he knew the odds weren't in his favor on that point. He burst past two pokemon, one his own, and saw Mewtwo, firing off attacks like a madman.

"Mewtwo, face me here and now!" Mewtwo turned to face the intruder and scowled, replying

"_I don't answer to you, human. Why couldn't you leave well enough alone? By this time, if you had not interfered, I could have crushed Rocket for good!"_ Alpha waved his sword up toward Mt Moon and said

"There are innocent people and pokemon alike who have been forced to join, and you would have murdered them without a second thought." Then he pointed his sword toward Mewtwo and continued.

"I can't allow this to happen, so I challenge you to a warrior's battle to decide the next course of action!" Mewtwo paused, then smirked and replied

"_Intriguing. What are the terms?"_ Alpha kept his sword aimed at him and said

"If you win, you may continue as you would, and I will not interfere. If I win, you stop your advance and allow me to take down Team Rocket myself. Do you accept these terms?"

"_I do."_ Alpha lowered his sword to his side and said

"Then let us begin." Mewtwo called his army's attention as Alpha called for his.

"_This is to be the final battle here!"_

"We have agreed to a warriors challenge and set the terms!"

"_The winner chooses the fate of Team Rocket!"_

"Lay down your arms and witness this final battle!"

"_Give us room."  
_"Give us room."

A wide circle was created so the two could have a proper battlefield to fight on. The two began to circle each other, Mewtwo hovering, Alpha stepping carefully. Neither wanted to make the first move, but everyone gathered knew it had to happen eventually. Finally Mewtwo's brashness got ahead of him and he fired a Shadow Ball. Alpha summoned the power of darkness on his blade and deflected it up, then switched to fire and shot a small burst at Mewtwo's feet. He threw himself out of its path and it exploded on the ground, containing more power than anyone else had first thought.

Mewtwo charged and fired a Dark Pulse at Alpha, who changed the sword to Steel and met up with the attack, holding strong as it pounded relentlessly against the bare steel. Finally Mewtwo gave the attack up only to fire a Psychic at him. Alpha dodged to the right after feinting left, causing Mewtwo to over judge it. Then he released a torrent of water that doused him, making him angry. He fired another Psychic. Alpha threw himself forward and focused on the Electric type. He slammed the sword onto the wet grass, sending powerful shockwaves into Mewtwo's body. He writhed in agony, then produced a burst of fire. Alpha avoided damage by sending up a wall of water in front of him, producing a cloud of steam.

Mewtwo's fire had served its purpose; it stopped Alpha from shocking him further and dried the grass as well as himself so Alpha could not exploit that trick again. Then he began firing multiple Shadow Balls in quick succession. Alpha dodged or deflected most of them, but he couldn't avoid them all. He was hit mostly in the legs, but since it did not impair his movement, he didn't care. Then Mewtwo did something amazing; he drew a sword made of psychic energy.

Mewtwo began charging at Alpha, and he quickly switched his blade's essence to Dark and met Mewtwo's wild charge midway. Sword clashed against sword, Mewtwo's sounding much like metal. The two broke apart but quickly charged again. Mewtwo feinted for Alpha's left, but Alpha wasn't fooled thanks to his extensive sword training with the Musketeers. He was far from a master, but they had drilled him extremely hard to anticipate his leaving after the false emergency meeting. He was not a master, but he was close.

Then Alpha began to execute a series of loops and thrusts that Mewtwo had a difficult time reading and deflecting. Alpha had managed to hit him once with the broadside of his sword on his side, knocking the breath out of him for a moment. Then he regained his footing and wildly swung to beat Alpha back. Alpha began to evade all his swings, sometimes using the sword in his hand to throw Mewtwo off balance.

Then Alpha saw an opening he could exploit. He shoved his sword down and scooped up some dirt, throwing it into Mewtwo's face. He flinched and began to rub his eyes of the stuff. Alpha swung his sword and sent a wave of air into him, knocking him to his back. Then he focused his hardest, using a newfound power he had just discovered. He raised his sword, which began to glow and pulse, and the dark essence on the blade, accompanied by a purple aura, slid up like thick water, balling up at the tip. By the time Mewtwo cleared his eyes and stood up, the attack was at full power, and as the cloned pokemon turned to face Alpha, he released the attack by swinging his sword in Mewtwo's direction and releasing the attack.

The attack connected and sent Mewtwo flying back about ten feet, the other pokemon avoiding him as he fell heavily, and when Mew inspected him, she declared him defeated. Alpha's pokemon began to cheer loudly at his success while Mewtwo's army did nothing at all.

Alpha looked up at Mew and smiled, amazed by his feat. Mew smiled back and gave him a thumbs-up, then carried Mewtwo away from the area. Alpha faced the other pokemon and told them

"You are free to go home if you wish. However, we still intend to take down Team Rocket, but not by means of eradication. We will simply take them into custody and let the law handle them. Those who wish to join us, step forward!"

And all of Mewtwo's army took a step forward, leaving Alpha stunned. Evidently, he had gained their trust by beating Mewtwo and proving his power. Then he turned and said

"Then let's move out!" and he charged toward the mountain where the last scraps of Team Rocket sat waiting.

**Wow, defeating a Legendary. That'll look impressive on his resume, won't it? XD Anyway, you know how to do this by now, so review or PM me!**


	16. Ch 16: Joys and Sorrows Both

**Okay, sorry for the delay. My inspirational pool for this story dried up a bit, so I've been hard at work with another story I recently created. I've called it High School Union, and if any of you are interested in what kind of story it is, I suggest you look it up. Anyway, when we last left off, Alpha had just defeated Mewtwo and gained the trust of his army and led them against Team Rocket. We will be picking up after they have defeated the Rockets.**

Alpha looked out over the land as his team and the remainder of Mewtwo's army rounded up the leftover Team Rocket members. There really hadn't been much of a fight to begin with since there were so few. Nevertheless, the excitement of the fray had proved too much for one of his friends, Blitz, his Charizard. He was remembering the good times they had together. He stood out by his body which was covered by a sheet that had been found in the Mt. Moon base. Since his tail flame was out, signifying his death, there was no chance that it would catch.

Alpha remembered when he had first received him as a Charmander. He had not liked Alpha, then Red, and had a bad habit of blowing flames in his face. But Red had persevered and won his trust when he protected him from several rock types out to put down his flame. Blitz had evolved then and started to fight furiously against the Geodude, and when Red had found an opening, he had grabbed Blitz and bolted for the exit. He knew that the rock pokemon would not follow them out of the cave, and he made it by the skin of his teeth. Never before had he been so happy to see sunlight again. He quickly rushed off to the nearest Pokemon Center to get Blitz fixed up, then showered him with praise and gratitude when he got out.

Since then, they had become great friends, and Alpha had taken precautions to ensure that his lineage would continue. Alpha had always encouraged his pokemon to find mates so their lines could continue, promising he would take care of their offspring. Or, if their mates were wild, allowed them to make the decision. Many of his male pokemon had wild mates who had chosen to keep their children, which Alpha respected. Blitz, however, had taken up with his Dragonite, Leya. They didn't have a comfortable relationship at first, but one day they seemed to hit it off. It was probably due to the fact that Red had used them in a double battle, so they truly saw each other's power for the first time. Leya was still a Dragonair at the time, but she had looked at Blitz, now a Charizard, and began to blush. Red recognized it for what it was, but Blitz had been oblivious the whole time, making Red laugh.

In time, Leya evolved and Blitz saw her in a different light now. The two had hooked up not long after, and before Red knew it, Leya had an egg. Red was proud of them both, and he asked what they wanted to do now that they were parents. Leya entrusted the egg to Red, who placed it safely in storage and assured them that if anything happened, he would hatch the egg and raise their child happily. As Alpha returned to himself, he saw Leya flying over to him. She landed on the other side and looked down at the sheet, tears already in her eyes. Alpha walked around the rock they had laid Blitz on and offered his arms to her. She accepted and broke down a little, comforted by her master's care.

"Listen Leya," Alpha began, "why don't you take him and cremate him where you think it would be the most appropriate? Unless you want me to take care of it…?" Leya shook her head and replied

"No, I should do it. But thank you for the offer. I need to be the one to do this, as the sun sets. That was his favorite time of the day, to watch the Great Ball of Fire in the sky cast its many hues over the sky he so loved to fly in. Thank you for bringing us together, Alpha. I appreciated all the time we had to spend together. Do you still have our egg?" Alpha nodded and said

"Safely in stasis, so it will be like the day you gave it to me." Alpha paused for a moment, then asked

"Do you want to be released?" Leya looked down at the sheet, then up to the sky. Finally she said

"No, I wish to be there for my son or daughter. I should stay with him or her and explain their heritage. I know you would do an excellent job, but since you are busy with your new occupation…" Alpha rested a hand on her shoulder and said

"Don't worry; no matter what happens, I'll never let anything happen to your child. You know that, right?" Leya smiled sadly and said

"Yeah, I know. I suppose I should get moving now…" Alpha took out her pokeball and gave it to her, saying

"Just in case. We'll be waiting for you in Cerulean." She nodded, then picked up her mate's body and took off, flying beyond the peaks of Mt. Moon to who-knew-where. Alpha brushed the last of the tears from his eyes and focused on Rose, who was approaching him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. Alpha sighed and told her

"He was the first friend I made when I first came to this region. Over there in Cerulean, he insisted on battling the gym leader, Misty. She was a Water-type user, but he thought he could vaporize the water they threw at him. Needless to say he lost several times before he would allow anyone else to take over. Now the only thing I have left from him is his lineage. Speaking of which," he said, facing her

"Have you and Loran gotten anywhere yet?" Rose blushed and shook her head, saying

"No, not yet. I want to, but he doesn't think we're ready yet. I don't want to rush him, but I also don't want us to be left without an heir or two." Alpha smiled and said

"Don't worry, he'll see reason someday. For now, just love him to the best of your ability. Things will follow."

"I hope you're right… anyway, I'm here to tell you that the police have already arrived and apprehended the Rockets. Now the wild pokemon are returning home, and the others are wondering what our next move is." Alpha nodded and told her

"Bring them all here. We're going to hold a service for Blitz." Rose nodded and walked off to gather the others. Alpha resumed to staring out over the land, and after a minute he felt his sword vibrating on his side. He turned and saw Arceus, whom he addressed.

"Lord Arceus, what may I do for you?" Arceus looked him over and replied

"You have already done it and more. You foiled Mewtwo's scheme to wage war against the humans, and you defeated the last of Team Rocket, which even I hadn't been aware of. For that, I have come to thank you. I will also be attending your service at your side. I know how hard it can be to lose a childhood friend, and the fact that he lived this long is something to be proud of. I am sure he would be happy to know that you intend to care for and raise his son or daughter with the same love and affection you showed him since day one."

Arceus' speech had brought the tears back to Alpha's eyes, and he let them fall so as not to dishonor his friend by wiping them away.

"I expect that Leya will be distraught for a while, Alpha. It is not easy to lose your mate, either." Mew popped in next to Alpha and stated

"Nor is it easy to lose one's child, so I hope you intend to protect hers."

"With my life" answered Alpha. Mew nodded her approval. Then all of his pokemon, his friends, were gathered behind him and looking up expectantly. Some of them who had known Blitz better already had cried, such as Leaf, his Venusaur; Rick, his Pidgeot; and Lucy, his Ninetails, who was currently mated with his Arcanine, Woof. Woof and Blitz had never gotten along, but even here the Arcanine's head was bowed in somber respect. Alpha turned to all of them and began.

"Welcome everyone. Today we remember a good friend of ours; Blitz. He was the first pokemon I received when I started in this region of Kanto, and although he didn't liked me initially, he tolerated me. Over time, we grew close, and one day we just clicked. After that we fought as a team should, with hard work, dedication, and courage. Throughout the region, he never left my side as we beat back the growing threat of the original Team Rocket. He stuck through it all, thick and thin, and never wavered in his loyalty. He was mated to Leya, and is survived by his child who we all shall meet in time. May his name live on in glory."

By the end of his speech, everyone had tears in their eyes. Even Woof was silently shedding them, and he and Lucy came closer than ever, Alpha could feel. He had a suspicion he would be receiving a few more eggs within the year, which did not bother him at all. He actually looked forward to the prospect of raising his friend's children, as much as he had loved raising them all. Then he began to return them, one by one. They all offered their condolences as he did so, and he accepted them. When he was finished, he turned to Arceus and said

"I will be staying in Cerulean until Leya returns. In the meantime, I will be retrieving hers and Blitz's child. I will raise him or her to be a fine pokemon, and will let him or her choose his or her own path. Do you agree?"

Arceus nodded his head. He too had been touched by Alpha's speech, and Mew could barely restrain herself. Alpha took a deep breath and walked on to Cerulean to fulfill his promise to Blitz.

**Having a hard time breathing now… Let's face it, these things happen whether we want them to or not, and we all have to move on eventually. This was a sad chapter, I admit it, but the next one should a bit more uplifting. Please send me some reviews telling me what you thought. *sniff***


	17. Ch 17: Keeping A Promise

**So, that last one was a real tear-jerker I felt, and I hope this will have more of an element of happiness, if not closure.**

As Alpha walked back to Cerulean, he mentally said his last goodbye to his friend. And as he let him go in his heart, knowing he wouldn't suffer anymore, at least, not physically, he wondered what his child would be. The chances were that he had spawned a Dratini, but there was every chance it was a Charmander. The guidelines to breeding didn't make much sense, beyond the fact that a male and a female were needed of a similar egg group, and made most of it guesswork. Unless of course you used a Ditto or the exact same pokemon. But then there was the matter of the child's move set. It could be anything, and if he remembered correctly, most of the moves inherited generally came from the father, who also determined the gender. It was the mother's type that usually decided the child, though. Still as confusing as the day Alpha first started breeding, all those years ago.

Now he left the matter up to them. For the most part, if they chose partners from their extended family, they kept it to the same egg group, but Alpha, variously known by different names, never constricted them like this. In fact, he encouraged them to hitch up no matter their egg group, even if only for a short time. But it seemed uncomfortable for them to do that, so he just went with whatever they wished.

Alpha arrived in Cerulean and steered himself to the Pokemon Center, anticipating taking out the egg from his-

Wait. He ended his PC account, at the request of Arceus.

"_Oh no, please don't be gone, don't be gone…" _Alpha begged in his mind as he dug through his pack, searching over all the boxes. But he couldn't find any off his eggs.

"ARCEUS!" he shouted to the skies, not caring about the looks he was drawing from people.

"_Calm yourself. Find a secluded area and teleport to the Hall of Origin. I will speak with you there."_

Alpha ran behind the Pokemon Center and looked around frantically, then whipped out his badge and opened the vortex, barreling through it and appearing at the Hall of Origin. He slammed open the doors and ran inside, shouting

"ARCEUS!"

"Didn't I tell you to calm yourself? This behavior is hardly befitting for a knight, especially one such as yourself." Alpha whirled to face him, anger and panic evident on his face.

"I don't care about that right now! The eggs, what did you do with the eggs?!" Arceus smiled and said

"If you will take a moment to calm yourself, I will explain." Alpha nodded and took some deep breaths, forcing himself to address Arceus like he wasn't a madman.

"Where are the eggs? I need to ensure that I don't betray my friend's trust by losing their children." Arceus nodded, then turned and began to walk down a hall, saying

"Follow me." Alpha blinked for a moment, then ran to catch up.

"I knew that you had supported your friends continuing their respective lineages, and I approved of that. Since I had you end your PC account, for good reason, I have made a special room to hold the eggs of your friends. Here we are."

Arceus stopped in front of a blank white door surrounded by silver trim that matched the trim on the sheath of his sword. A plaque above the door read "Alpha's eggs", and Arceus pushed open the door and motioned for Alpha to step inside.

When he did, Alpha saw a spacious room filled with shelves, so many shelves he couldn't count them immediately. And on each shelf were bands of orange light about seven to nine inches in diameter. In most of these lights, mainly on the front most shelves, rested eggs he thought he recognized. Since most eggs looked the same, it was difficult to tell. But he walked slowly toward the shelf closest to him to inspect some of the eggs. Then he noticed that it was remarkably warm in the room, especially with his frock coat on. He shrugged it off and draped it over his left shoulder, then moved to inspect the shelves. He inched close to one egg and stuck a finger tentatively in the band of light. His finger went numb and he quickly pulled it out, the feeling returning immediately. Then he saw a series of flashing lights and looked down.

He saw that the band of strange light was emitting from a small machine that rested on the shelf, and the strange lights were coming from a control panel on the machine. He noticed that there were digital words on a screen, and he read them.

Type: Water.

Pokemon: Buizel.

Gender: Female.

Parents: Blaze and Maria.

Alpha stared for a moment, then thought back. He remembered that his Blaziken, Blaze, had hooked up with his Floatzel, Maria, for a while, but after they gave up the egg didn't stay together. So their child was taking after the mother, huh? He turned to Arceus and asked

"What is all this?" Arceus stepped into the room and began to explain.

"After I told you to end your account, I removed the eggs personally before you did. I brought them all here and created this room for the purpose of storing your eggs whenever you receive them. Since it seems that most of your friends trust you with them, I wanted to give the best conditions for their safety. The lights are a stasis field that keeps the young from developing and hatching in this room. Otherwise the Hall of Origin would be filled with young ones, and while I have no animosity to them, I feel it might be rather distracting. When you place an egg on the machine, it will be scanned and the information will be displayed. If you notice, there are quite a few machines that aren't emitting the stasis field. This is simply because they are not in use. When you wish to deposit an egg, just choose a machine and set it on, then press the green button."

Alpha looked back at the machines and noticed that while the unused ones had green buttons, the ones in use had red buttons. He asked Arceus as to this effect.

"You see, when a stasis machine is in use, the scan/ begin button becomes a release button. It requires a fingerprint scan first, so come over here and put your information on this computer."

He motioned to a sort of computer/scanner next to the door, and Alpha walked over to it. He pushed on the screen since it had no buttons on it. It proved to be a touch screen, and a menu popped up. Arceus began to guide him through the steps, and before long his thumb print was recognized . Then the stasis beams shifted colors, ranging from red, blue, black and so on, much like the pommel of his sword. The difference was the stasis beams did not shift color. He turned to Arceus and asked

"What just happened?" Arceus smiled and replied

"Now that you have been recognized as the owner of these eggs, the colors have shifted to signify the types that the pokemon are. This is shown on the panel, but I thought this method would be beneficial since you won't want to waste time searching for a particular egg. I suggest you look over the eggs in your charge so you have an idea of what to look for when you need to. Not at this time, because you have obligations. The door will be locked when you leave, and no one but you and I will be able to open it. There is no lock, so you must present your badge in order to open it. Come, let us try it to be sure it will work."

Then he and Arceus left the room, the door automatically closing and locking behind them. Alpha flashed his badge to the door, and after a faint _click _it swung open, allowing him access. He stepped inside again and began looking for red or blue-black, signifying either fire or dragon. He checked all the dragon-colored eggs first because, following the laws of breeding, it was likely to be the right type. When he found nothing, however, he began to check the Fire types. He finally found it:

Type: Fire.

Pokemon: Charmander.

Gender: Male.

Parents: Blitz(D) and Leya.

"Does that 'D' mean… ?"

"Yes, deceased."

Alpha nodded, then pressed the button to release. It asked for thumbprint identification, which Alpha gave, and the stasis field lowered back into the machine, allowing Alpha to carefully lift the egg from its resting place. He held it close and could feel the youngling inside stir a bit. He knew it wouldn't be overly long before he hatched. He looked up to Arceus and said

"Thank you, for everything. I'm sorry I was curt with you before, I was just…"

"You were worried that you had failed your friends in safeguarding their children when you encouraged them to have them. I understand, and there is no need for apology. I probably should have alerted you to this development before, but I wanted to wait until it was finished before I did. That way if you encouraged your friends to extend their lineage, you would have a safe place to store them. I hope you will have use for this room for many years to come, but I will understand if at some point you cannot bear it anymore. In the event of that, I would like for you to hatch the rest of them and release them into the wild so they may live their lives."

Alpha was overtaken by emotion, so he clutched the egg closer and simply nodded. Then Arceus said

"If that is all, then you might want to return to Cerulean and meet up with that Charmander's mother."

Alpha nodded again and exited the room with Arceus, letting it lock behind them. Then he took out his badge, keeping a careful hold on the egg he carried and summoned the portal. He gave Arceus a nod of farewell and stepped through, coming out at Cerulean. He stepped out from behind the Pokemon Center and went to the middle of the town to wait for Leya. While he waited, he spoke to the egg, telling it who he was and that he was safe with him. He continued in this manner until he heard the flapping of wings above him, and he looked up to see an indistinct shape falling in his direction. The figure became clearer as it descended, and it flared its wings to slow itself. When the figure landed, Leya became clearer and seemed saddened but satisfied.

"Hey" she said, her voice still a bit rough.

Alpha said nothing but presented her egg, her child, to her. She gently took it and rubbed it against her face. The sight calmed Alpha's tortured feelings a bit, and Leya cooed to the egg. Then she handed it back, along with her pokeball and said

"Thank you." Alpha nodded as he returned her, then went to grab a room for the night in the local Pokemon Center, cradling the egg to his chest.

**Well, I thought that was a heartwarming chapter. Please review soon and give your thoughts. Remember, I'm still looking for ideas, so don't hesitate to send those either!**


	18. Ch 18: A New Friend

**Okay, so I have had a few suggestions already, which I appreciate. However, I have seen one that I will not condone, so I apologize MasterTrainer493, but I have grown rather sick and tired of Cipher. It wasn't a bad idea, but I **_**really **_**don't like them, and don't even want them here. Besides, it's bad enough I put in Team Rocket; I don't want to be using other past teams either. If, however, you have any ideas about some names for other evil syndicates, (because I myself am terrible coming up with names) I would be glad to hear them. In the meantime, enjoy this next chapter!**

As Alpha walked along Route 5, he wondered about the various gyms and who was leading them now. He had heard some rumors shortly after reaching Hoenn that his oldest rival, Blue, had become a gym leader after having been dethroned by the now legendary Red. He had smirked at that; a legend? That was a bit of a stretch, he thought. Sure, he _had _defeated Team Rocket nearly single-handedly, but that was only due to experience and strong friends.

But by this time Blue was definitely gone, and it was very likely that the older gym leaders were too. The thought depressed him, especially when he remembered that his pokemon weren't immune to the effects of time like he was now. In this state of depression, he wondered who he would lose next.

Alpha shook and slapped himself. That was no way to be thinking! He knew he had cared for his friends to the extent of his abilities and would continue to do so… but still, what would he be like once they were all gone and nothing of them existed anymore?

"_Dear Arceus, what's wrong with me today? I lose one friend and I completely fall apart. That's the way it is now in my position, and I'll just have to get used to it."_

Maybe a gym battle or two would get his mind off things. But then again, he already had all of the gym badges from every region, and he remembered that he couldn't re-challenge the gyms. It would hardly be a fair fight anyway, his pokemon were far too overpowered compared to others. Odds were he could take on some of the legends and win, but only one at a time and only after his pokemon were all healed afterward.

Nevertheless, he needed _something_ to take his mind off these dark thoughts plaguing him. He walked on and suddenly heard

"Hey! Wait up!" Alpha turned in curiosity and saw a young boy running up, holding onto a pokeball. He reached him and began to catch his breath. When he straightened up, he said

"I challenge you to a pokemon battle!" Alpha smirked and said

"Look kid, as much as I would love to accept your challenge, it would hardly be a fair fight. Besides, I'm not in the best of moods and-"

"Don't you know the official trainer code? When two trainer's eyes meet, they battle each other! So come on, fight me!" Alpha raised an eyebrow and said

"Oh? That's become official now, has it? I remember it was like that in my time, but it was never seen as an official rule. A lot has changed since I battled last in my youth." The boy was looking at Alpha with confusion and asked

"What are you talking about? Look, are you just chicken or something? Because if you are, you can just forfeit the battle and give me my prize money." The boy gulped as Alpha turned a dark gaze on him and said darkly

"I never give up on a challenge, and I don't forfeit unless forced. Very well, I accept your challenge, but don't say I didn't warn you." And he unclipped Rose's pokeball from his belt. He was still holding onto the egg, so he held the ball as he released her onto the field to do battle against the boy's Rattata.

"Really? That's all you have, is a Rattata?" Alpha asked him. The boy riled up and said

"Hey, don't you dare underestimate me! Rattata, use Bite!" Alpha sighed before he said in a bored tone

"Rose, please use Protect, then follow with Focus Blast."

Rose erected a green barrier in front of her which the purple rat bounced off of. Then Rose quickly charged a light blue ball and fired it at the Rattata. When the smoke cleared, the Rattata was lying motionless, clearly fainted. The boy was stunned as he returned his pokemon, then he looked up to Alpha in fear and ran in the direction he had come from. Rose turned to him and said

"Don't you think that was a bit overkill?" Alpha shrugged and said

"The boy challenged me. I tried to steer him the other way, but he wouldn't listen. So I had to show him the error of his ways. And I'm not in the mood to discuss this further, so if you wish to continue this conversation, I will return you to your pokeball." Rose took a step back in shock, and Alpha himself was jolted to his senses by what he just said. He looked up at Rose and asked

"Did I just threaten to return you to your pokeball?" She nodded, and Alpha moaned out, moving over to a bench and sitting down. Rose followed him but kept a fair distance now, afraid of what he might do or say in this state. She searched his emotions to find the cause, and within a moment she knew the problem.

"Master… I mean, Alpha, you mustn't let such things bother you. Death is a natural cycle every living being must go through. Even you experienced it, and we all mourned for you. Even if you were gone, you would never have been forgotten, not where it counts." He sighed and continued to stare between his knees at the ground. He shook his head and said

"That may be true, but now I can do nothing except watch all my friends pass, one by one. I will never subject you, any of you, to have to experience that alone. As I was dying, I worried about everything in my life. The biggest thing I worried about was facing my mother and sister in the afterlife. I wasn't sure I could do it, and until I give up my service, I can't beg their forgiveness. The fact remains that as time goes on, I will watch each of you age since there's really no room for growth anymore, and the time will come when I can't go on. My worry is that I'll lose my sanity as you each flit by to where I won't be able to reach you."

Rose was sitting next to him now, and she gently embraced him, trying to express what words couldn't, that she really cared, that they _all _cared for him, and would gladly give up their lives to save him even as he would to save them. Alpha returned the hug and cried out, remembering the position he held and what faced him now. Eventually he stood and said

"Thanks, Rose. My mood isn't exactly better, but I know that things will happen whether I want them to or not. So I have to make the best of the time that we all have together. And while you can't be replaced," he said, picking the egg back up "you can be remembered, in both my memories and in your children."

Rose nodded and resolved to speak with her mate about this development. He needed to understand that she wanted to leave Alpha a way to better remember them, because she knew that she couldn't live forever either. Then Alpha spoke to her and her attention immediately latched onto him.

"You know, I've been thinking about some combo moves that might prove interesting if we could pull them off."

"Oh?" Rose asked, her curiosity peaking.

"Yeah, like this one I saw Mew use. I kinda used it myself when I battled Mewtwo in front of Mt. Moon. I've been thinking hard about it, and I think if we can pull it off, I'll call it Shadow Pulse. It works by combining Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse. I don't know what the full effects would be, though. Think you can help? After all, you know the required moves. But if you don't want to, you don't have to." Rose thought about it for a second, then shakily said

"I won't deny that the idea of such a move kinda scares me, but at the same time it's an interesting concept. Why don't we try it?" Alpha nodded and said

"Okay then, charge a Shadow Ball in your left hand and a Dark Pulse in your right. Then slowly bring them together and try to meld them."

Rose concentrated and formed the moves in both hands. Alpha was proud that she had retained the ability to use multiple moves in the same sitting. It was a tricky maneuver that had taken her years to master, and once she had she was his go-to pokemon for one-sided battles, which was often how they turned out. Then she slowly brought her hands in front of her, meeting up with some resistance but forcing the two moves together.

The result exploded in her face and sent her flying back. Alpha ran to her, thinking

"_I swear if I killed her I am going to stab myself!"_ He set the egg to his side and gently raised Rose's head, saying

"Rose, can you hear me? Speak to me." Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned

"Ohh, what hit me?" Alpha breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled a bit. Then he helped Rose up and retrieved the egg, telling her

"Maybe this was a bad idea. We should probably give up on this." During this time Rose already had another Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse charged and said

"If I could learn to teleport and KO my opponent at the same time, I can learn this." She brought the two together again and was blown back, but she teleported next to Alpha before she hit the ground.

"Ground me once, shame on you. Ground me twice, shame on me." Alpha sweat-dropped and said

"Uh, I don't think that works here, Rose. Are you sure you want to do this? I won't blame you if you want to stop." Rose gave him a look and said

"You pulled that move off with your sword on your first try. I do not give up with competition like that. How did you pull it off, anyhow?" Alpha thought back and said

"I'm not sure. I just remembered the move that Mew used to bring Mewtwo down when we were inspecting his hidey-hole, and I let instinct take over." Rose's eyes gleamed and she softly said

"Okay…" She charged the moves and closed her eyes, then gently crossed the two, and this time they didn't explode. She held the move in one hand, proud of herself as she looked over it. The Shadow Pulse was a deep purple tinged with black. There were swirls inside of it that were also black and moved around in a strange and unrecognizable pattern.

"One Shadow Pulse."

"Wow… now let's see what kind of damage it can do to that boulder over there" Alpha said, pointing to an overlarge rock on the side of the road. Rose held the arm holding the move and carefully aimed. Then she launched it with precision, and it struck the exact middle of the boulder and reduced it to crumbling rubble.

"Whoa…" Alpha and Rose said in unison, looking at each other.

"That's a powerful technique there. We should save that for later, but I want to teach it to whoever can learn it." Rose nodded and replied

"We should also be careful with it. We don't want _that _falling into the wrong hands. I wonder what it can affect, and what its battle effects are." Alpha shrugged and said

"I don't know, but I guess we can only find out by applying it to battle." Alpha and Rose continued walking for a while, talking about the move's potential. The subject of the loss of his friends was already driven from Alpha's mind.

**Okay, I'm gonna stop there for now. Tell me what you think!**


	19. Ch 19: A Little Dilemma

**Okay, I want to stop with the tragedy for a bit, because I'm kind of tired of it. I'm sure you are too, but the fact remains that tragedy happens and we can't avoid it all the time. For now, though, I'll focus on happier times, or at least get Alpha back to his job.**

As Alpha and Rose walked along Route 5, he thought about what he was going to do next. He couldn't change the past, and while he would miss Blitz, he knew his lineage would survive, and that was a positive thought. He looked down at his sword and began to contemplate further.

"Hmm…" Rose looked over at him and asked

"What's wrong?" He met her gaze and replied

"Nothing. I'm just wondering if I should go and finish my training with the Musketeer Quad. They told me I was _almost _finished, but not quite. And since there's nothing going on, this would make an ideal time to become a master of the sword. I also need to master the final technique of my sword, Judgement." Rose looked at him again and told him

"It's only been about three, four months. You've already become very proficient with it. There's no need to rush things." Alpha nodded and said

"I know, but the sooner I have this technique mastered, the more I can focus on the work ahead of me which seems rather dormant right now. In fact, the only thing I have to ahead of me is taking care of Blitz's and Leya's child, who has yet to hatch." Rose laid a hand on the egg and said

"But he's getting close, isn't he?" Alpha nodded. They continued walking and Alpha thought out loud.

"While we're in this small bout of peace, I also want to come up with some more combo moves to teach you guys. The problem is, most of the moves I can think of can only be used really by you since you have such a diverse knowledge concerning special moves."

"Such as?" Rose asked him. Alpha collected his thoughts and told her

"Well, I've been thinking hard about your Focus Blast and wondering if we could combine that with anything, possibly Shadow Ball, and make a move that's powerful but can affect a broader spectrum of types."

Rose thought for a moment, then began to charge a Focus Blast and Shadow Ball, like when she was learning Shadow Pulse, and brought them together to create a strange ball that a solid sky blue in the middle but had misty purple surrounding its core. She threw it at the ground to her right and created an explosion that made a small crater. Alpha regarded her with awe and said

"Boy, if you have a daughter I know exactly what moves she'll be learning and what I'll be focusing on stat-wise." Rose blushed and asked

"What if I have a son?" Alpha didn't miss a beat as he replied

"He'll be learning how to be a powerful Gallade, unless he desires to become a Gardevoir. I have nothing against it, but only male Kirlia can become Gallade, so with a son that option's out there. In order to make that happen, you need to convince Loran to have children first." Rose blushed again and she said

"When we have some time to ourselves, I'll make him see reason. I don't want to leave you without some way to remember us. I won't delude myself, I know we can't live forever. But we still have time to work on an heir or two." Alpha was touched by her words, and he said

"That means a lot to me, Rose. I promise I'll give you guys that chance, but take his desires into consideration. You shouldn't make your decisions based on what you _think _I want. I admit that I would love to raise your child the way I'm going to raise Blitz's, but I don't want you to rush it. Take the time to love each other the way I know you two do."

They decided to move off the topic since it was both awkward and depressing to talk about, both of them knowing the circumstances under which Alpha would raise her child. He had always stressed that his friends could raise their own children if they wished, but it seemed to be a general consensus that he would have the honor when they were… no longer around. Shaking his head violently to remove those dark thoughts, Alpha began to see a problem in his prospective adventure.

"How do we transport this egg around without any risks involved? I don't want to fly with it; I doubt that I would drop it, and I know flying on one of my pokemon would be safe, but there are always the unknown factors. I would say take a ferry or ship of some sort, but you need ID for that, and all my IDs are outdated or irrelevant. I suppose we could do a lot of teleporting, but that idea I hate, and I don't know if that's good for the egg or not. This is a bigger dilemma than I thought. What do you think, Rose?" She considered the position for a moment, then said

"Well, I admit the idea of cruising around on a ship is fantastic. I haven't been on one of those since Hoenn, and I love the sea. But the only way I could think of getting on in your situation is to become stowaways, and that will just lead to trouble. You couldn't renew your ID?" Alpha shook his head and said

"Given that I no longer age, things would get suspicious, and it's too big of a hassle to keep renewing my ID in different regions every few years. Besides, even if it wasn't, someone would be bound to catch on, and then we would be in a heap of trouble. Even if they believed I was Arceus' knight, which I myself would doubt, they would be even harsher on me, a supposedly noble knight breaking the law. We need a solid plan." Rose thought for a second, then asked

"Would your badge work?" Alpha snorted and said

"I don't think every ship attendant is a Legend in disguise, Rose. No, this doesn't officially count as my ID. Maybe I should just wait until this egg hatches, then fly." Rose shook her head and replied

"No, eggs may seem close to hatching, but sometimes that can fool you. We don't have a good estimation of when it really will hatch, so the best course is by ship if you want to arrive in a timely manner. Could I just manipulate the attendant's mind into thinking you have the pass?" Alpha growled and said

"That's low, and you know it. I will not use your powers in that manner unless under the direst circumstances. And even then with hesitation. No, we can't do that; it just might cause more trouble." Rose pretty well gave up then and said

"Well, just wing it then. It's obvious we can't agree on a solution, and we're not going to get there by arguing."

Alpha just sighed and they continued into Vermillion City, the famous port city. Kanto had become quite the hotspot with Alpha's, then Red, defeat of Team Rocket, and the most famous place was by far Lavender Town's Tower of Memories, although if he remembered correctly, it had been moved and replaced by a radio tower. Alpha hadn't too happy about that, but there was nothing he could have done about it. Moving past it, he decided to check around and see what had changed since the first time he was here.

There were new buildings in some places, but the Pokemon Center and PokeMart remained the same as ever, which gave Alpha a sense of nostalgia. Then he wanted to check the gym for some reason. He knew that the original leader, Lt. Surge, would be long gone by now, but he still had to see the gym.

As he walked over, some people gave him strange looks at his abnormal attire, walking beside a Gardevoir holding an egg. Then they caught sight of his sword and rushed off, obviously scared by it, and Alpha began to wonder if he could get on the ship with it.

They reached the gym, and Alpha felt a fresh wave of nostalgia as he beheld it, not looking too different from his time. When he walked inside, though, he could see that the electric fences were gone, a favorite of Surge's when he reigned over the gym. Alpha walked forward and saw the regular attendant who asked him if he was eager to try the gym challenge. Alpha shook his head and brought out his Kanto badge case, displaying it and saying

"As you can see, I already have this badge." The attendant looked closely and regarded him with confusion, then asked

"Who gave you this badge?" Without thinking, Alpha said

"Lt. Surge." The attendant began laughing loudly and Alpha asked him

"What's so funny?" The attendant composed himself and said

"This badge came from almost ninety years ago! Surge was here at the time, but there's no way you were! Seriously, who gave you the badge?" Alpha muttered an answer about having to be somewhere else and hastily left the gym. Rose caught up with him and said

"That was too close." She noticed his demeanor; he was shaking from sadness and rage, and she asked

"What's wrong?" His voice filled with emotion as he said

"Things have changed too much, Rose. I wonder, what will become of me? I will not age, but those around me will. I will witness every change that happens around me, whether or not I like it. And there won't be a thing I can do to stop it." Rose placed a calming hand on his shoulder and said in a soft voice

"Change is good, Alpha. You yourself should know this; you changed a lot along your journey across the world, and you changed things for the better whenever you defeated an evil syndicate who intended to rule the world. And now you will change the world further by making your mark on the fabric of relationship between humans and pokemon alike. Just remember who you are and what you stand for." Alpha straightened up and turned to her, then pulled her into a rough hug, softly saying

"I don't know what I would do if you weren't here to advise me the way only you can. You're right; I have to accept that things change; they have to, or the world will become monotonous. And if I'm honest with myself, I was fully aware that this would happen when I accepted the position. I just need some time to adjust."

He released her and she smiled, but inside she worried what would become of him if she wasn't around. All the more reason to have a daughter who could take her place when she could no longer fill the position. For the time though, she suggested they go to the port already and try to catch a ship to Unova. Alpha agreed and they began walking again.

**Two hours later…**

Alpha was amazed at their fortune. As it turned out, there was some sort of special going on that involved the winner of a battle getting a free, all-expenses-paid ride to wherever they wished. It was a one-way trip, of course, and the battle was designed to be a real challenge. Fortunately, Alpha and his friends had almost no trouble winning, so they got the trip to Unova Alpha was looking for. He had promptly boarded the ship, after assuring the authorities that the sword was only for show (thank Arceus they hadn't challenged this) and he found his room. He looked over to Rose, who was still by his side and smiled as he said

"Well, looks like we hit the jackpot, eh?" Rose giggled and nodded, saying

"Now we'll get there in no time." Alpha decided he had had a long day and to call it a night. He returned Rose so she could get some rest herself in private. Then he carefully set the egg aside and undressed, clambering into bed and falling asleep shortly after.

**I realize this was a slow chapter, but things will pick up next chapter. I have an idea what his next mission will be, though it won't be an official mission. But that's all I'm going to say here besides review!**


	20. Ch 20: How Much?

**Rollin' out another for ya! This one should pick up the action a bit more, and I will say there will be some conflict. So, read on and when you finish, review me!**

Alpha woke to the gentle rocking of the ship, and he sat up, yawning and stretching. He got out of bed and checked the egg, which still had not hatched. He laid a hand against the warm, smooth surface and felt it rock a bit. It would still be a short while before the Charmander hatched. He began to wonder what he would be like. Odds were he would be as feisty as his father had been, and the thought made him chuckle.

He dressed and buckled his sword and badge, then stored his pokeballs until he was down to Rose's and Leya's. He knew he was on a pleasant cruise, but he wanted to keep a sharp eye, or mind, in this case, out for any possibly abusive trainers. He kept Leya there because he wanted her to be the one to witness her son's… was it really a birth when a pokemon hatched? Well, for the time (and Alpha wondered how the issue never came up before) he would call it his "coming into the world". Yeah, that would work.

He released Rose and bade her a good morning. She yawned and repeated the phrase, and the two exited the room, going for the dining hall of the ship. They entered a massive room filled with tables in the middle, and on the sides were various heating tables covered with an assortment of human foods, and even some pokechow. Alpha didn't think that would appeal to Rose though, so he encouraged her to choose from the human's section, which she was eager to do. They grabbed plates and filled them, Rose simply grabbing whatever Alpha did.

They picked a table that was close to the exit which would lead to the top deck, and Alpha carefully set the egg on a chair next to him to ensure no one was tempted to take it. After taking a few bites, he motioned for Rose to contact him telepathically.

"_What is it?" _she asked.

"_I want you to keep your mind open for any distressed feelings, especially from pokemon. We may be on a cruise, but there could still be abusive trainers around, and I'll be damned by Arceus himself before I let that get away from me."_

Rose nodded and continued eating, but he could feel her spreading her consciousness around the room, searching for anything that would fit the bill. After a few moments, she frowned, and she closed her eyes. Alpha could see she was concentrating on something, but he couldn't tell what. She would tell him when she was finished.

When she opened her eyes again, she made contact with him again and said

"_I can't be too sure, but I think I'm picking up some distress from a pokemon. Something small, and young. I can't tell the extent of the problem, but it's coming from that guy."_

And she directed him with her mind to a trainer who looked to be near or in his twenties. He had short, sandy hair and baggy clothes, and it looked like he was rather irritated about something. Alpha shoveled the rest of his food, Rose following suit, then he scooped up the egg and tailed the man, hoping to see the problem soon. The man stopped on the path that led to the top deck, and since everyone was at breakfast he thought he was safe from anyone seeing him. He unclipped a pokeball from his belt and held it up, releasing the pokemon inside. When the flash subsided, a terrified Vulpix was staring up at its trainer, and Rose shouted in Alpha's mind

"_That's the one, the little Vulpix. She's the one giving off that wave I felt earlier!"_ Alpha turned his head to her and asked

"_You sure?"_ She nodded, and he brought out his money saving device. This kept track of a trainer's personal funds, much like a bank, and like a bank it had an interest rate on it. Alpha smiled as he knew he had never been much of a money spender, so his funds were extremely high. Rose looked over his shoulder and asked

"_What are you thinking?"_ Alpha put the device away and handed her the egg as he replied

"_Obviously I can't punish him here, and it would be a bad idea to demonstrate my power on a trap unless I fly out, which I don't want to do with that egg. So I'm going to try and buy her off of him."_ Alpha and Rose waited as the trainer began to rant at the Vulpix, making her cower.

"I can't believe you lost again! I feed you, I take care of you, and this is how you repay me?! I swear, you have to be one of the most useless pokemon! Maybe I should just throw you overboard and be done with it!"

Rose began to growl fiercely, and Alpha quickly silenced her. He hated the man just as much as she did, but there would be no point in blowing the cover just yet. The Vulpix threw herself at her trainer's feet and began begging.

"Please, no! I swear I'll do better, just give me one more chance!" The horrible trainer just sneered and said

"I may not be able to understand you, but even I can tell what you're saying. But you've had it! I won't tolerate failure on my team, and since no one else will take you-"

"Hold it, sir! Please, wait!" Alpha shouted out, running toward him. He masked his voice to make it sound like he didn't want to tear the man limb from limb. He paused by him and tried to take the stance of an interested fan.

"Please, wait. I have a special interest in small pokemon, and I was wondering if I could take a look at your Vulpix?" The sandy-haired man looked at him in shock, but made a dismissive gesture and said

"Whatever." Alpha nodded his false thanks and bent down to look at the Vulpix. She was a small thing, smaller than usual, and he guessed that she was still very young. His rage grew worse as he realized that this bastard would have killed an innocent baby!

He quickly forced his anger down. Blowing his top would get him nowhere, so he gently picked up the Vulpix, who tensed heavily. He began to make a false inspection, the way he had seen some doctors inspect his pokemon. He made sure to be gentle and not violate her privacy, though. He gently set her down and faced the man, putting a wide grin on his face.

"Well now, it seems you have quite the Vulpix here!" The man scoffed and said

"Then clearly you're new at whatever it is you're doing. This one isn't worth anything." The Vulpix lowered her head and Alpha nearly drew his sword. He abstained and kept his smile, however, as he responded.

"Well, I certainly don't think so. In fact, I'll pay you 10,000 for her." The man jolted his head up in shock, but after a moment it narrowed in suspicion. Alpha quickly said

"Not enough, my friend? Very well, 15,000!" Now the man was gasping like a fish out of water, and Alpha smirked inside. Now he could make the deal-sealer.

"You drive a hard bargain, sir. Fine, 20,000, but that's my final offer!" The man mentally slapped himself and took Alpha's outstretched hand, shaking it hard and shouting

"Deal!" Alpha's grin widened on the outside, keeping it friendly, but inside he reveled.

"_Hook, line and sinker."_ He took out his banking device and connected it to the other man's, putting in the command to transfer the 20,000 to him. The exchange was made and Alpha handed the trainer his device back. He checked to see that the transaction had gone through, and when it had he smiled and handed the Vulpix's pokeball to Alpha. They bid farewell and the trainer left them behind, not even giving the confused Vulpix a second glance. She looked up at Alpha in fear and confusion and asked aloud

"What just happened?" Alpha gave a real smile to her and replied

"I just saved you from your abusive trainer. I couldn't stand hearing that he would have killed you because you're young and don't have the capability to battle yet. My name is Alpha; what's yours?"

The poor Vulpix couldn't wrap her undeveloped head around this; she knew that whoever this man was had saved her from being tossed over the ship, but she didn't know what kind of person he was himself. Maybe her life would turn out better, but it could just as easily turn out for the worst.

"I-I don't have a name…" she muttered. Alpha frowned at this, and he looked up as Rose came around the corner, still carrying the egg. Alpha quickly but gently scooped up the Vulpix and walked over to her, and the vulpine seemed terrified. Alpha started to rock her and make reassuring sounds, then on an impulse he scratched her behind her right ear. She flinched at the contact, but soon relaxed in his grip. Rose stopped in front of him and breathed a sigh of relief, saying

"At least that wasn't too much trouble." Alpha nodded in agreement and said

"This poor little one doesn't have a name. I think we should fix that, what about you?" Rose nodded but said

"That should be left to you, though. You were the one to save her." Alpha shrugged and said

"Maybe, but if you hadn't found her, I would never have known she was in danger." Rose waved it off and said

"Look, I'm sure we could argue about this all day, but I will make you submit to the point that you were the one to spend your money to save her. You made the moves to save her life, not me. Ergo, you will be the one to name her." Alpha chuckled and said

"Alright. So, what would be a good name for you?" He stared at the Vulpix, who was watching him with bright wide eyes. A name he hadn't used before occurred to him, and he thought about it for a minute, then lifted her up to his eye level and said

"How about Lexi?" The vulpine's eyes widened for a second, then closed as she purred to it.

"I like it!" she replied, opening her eyes again and yipped in joy. Rose giggled and Alpha chuckled again, beginning to relax from his encounter with the trainer he hoped wasn't abusive to his other pokemon.

"So, what's your story, Lexi?" Her ears drooped as he set her down and she turned her face up to his.

"Well, I was with my family in our forest, when we heard the sounds of humans approaching. My mother grabbed me and started to carry me off, but we got caught up in a stampede. She lost her hold on me and I flew away somewhere. I found a rock and crawled under it to avoid the pounding hooves that would have trampled me. I waited for my mother to find me, and the next day I heard footsteps, so I stepped out. That's when that other man found and captured me."

Alpha thought for a second, then asked

"When did this happen?" The Vulpix thought for a second, then responded

"Well, I can't be too sure since there's no way to tell time in those balls, but I would say it's been about two or three weeks." Alpha contemplated this for a moment, then said

"Okay, I'll tell you what; I have some business to attend to where we're going, but I don't think it should take too long. When we're finished, I'll bring you back and try to help you find your family. Are you okay with that?" He was pounded by the vulpine as she jumped at him and made a clumsy attempt to hug him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried out, sounding happier now. Alpha smiled warmly and petted her, saying

"You're welcome. It will be a while longer before I can help you, though, but I promise I will do what I can for you." He scooped up Lexi and walked to the deck of the ship, Rose following behind him. Lexi snuggled warmly into his arms and he smiled. This was just one of those benefits from his job now, and he was determined to enjoy it.

**Saving lives, stopping evil… just one of Alpha's many talents, I suppose. So, what do you guys think of this? Let me know soon.**


	21. Ch 21: How To Do This?

**So far, Alpha and Rose are chillaxin' on a cruise headed for Unova so Alpha can finish his training with his Musketeer masters. Along the way, he has just saved a baby Vulpix from her demise and promises to get her back home. Now Alpha needs to keep a sharp eye out for any possible thieves or abusers, and handle them without drawing attention to himself. Easy, right?**

Alpha continued walking along the deck after having set Lexi carefully on his right shoulder and taking the egg back from Rose. He made sure Lexi was safe and comfortable, then walked out onto the battle field that was laid out for the benefit of any trainers on the ship. He faced Rose and said

"Okay, Rose, I think I have another idea for a combo move, and _this _one shouldn't explode in your face." Rose laughed at this, then asked

"How does it work?" Alpha smirked, then motioned for her to get onto the position where she would stand if they were in battle. Then he told her

"Charge a Shadow Ball in your left hand, and a Thunderbolt in your right, keeping the Thunderbolt balled up with your psychic power." Rose nodded and did exactly as he said, and she looked at him over her shoulder for further instruction.

"Now, position the Shadow Ball in front of your body, extending your arm all the way. Next, place the Thunderbolt behind it, making sure it doesn't get too close to the Shadow Ball. Let the Thunderbolt escape straight through it, and aim at the sky. Let's see what happens."

He watched nervously as Rose faced away from the front of the ship and executed the maneuvers. She let the Thunderbolt loose, and it passed straight through the Shadow Ball. The interesting part, though, was the fact that as more of the Thunderbolt passed through, the Shadow Ball would continue to shrink. Further, the Thunderbolt that had passed through already was still yellow, but now a whitish color was accented in the middle, and surrounding the lightning bolt was a shadowy aura. When the power of both attacks finally dissipated, Rose was left standing there in awe at the power she had just unleashed.

"Wow…" she said.

"I think we'll call that one Shadow Shock" Alpha told her as he stepped up next to her. She faced him in astonishment and asked

"Where do you come up with these ideas?" Alpha chuckled and began to explain.

"Well, you probably weren't born at the time, but back when I was fighting against Cipher in Orre, I came across many Shadow moves, all of which were super-effective against anything that wasn't a shadow pokemon. I remember four Legends were subjected to that fate, Lugia, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. Each one had a particularly powerful shadow move relating to their types, and I wanted to imitate that. I don't believe it will affect normal types, but I can't tell if it will still lower an opponent's special defense. However, it will still be able to paralyze opponents. All I can say is, Psychic/Water types, beware. And with those Legends in mind…"

Alpha delved into the pack containing his pokeballs and withdrew two. Holding them in his hand, he released the two inside, and when the light faded his Houndoom, Mark, and his Froslass, Theya, popped out in front of him. Alpha knew had these two not been trained specially by him, there would be a far different reaction going on. Houndoom were natural disasters to Ghost/Ice types like Theya. As it was, they greeted each other warmly, then turned their attention to their trainer. He faced his Houndoom and said

"Mark, I have an idea for a new combo move I want to teach you. The same goes for you, Theya." They both nodded and awaited instructions. Alpha directed Mark to the area that Rose had recently occupied. Then he said

"What I want you to do is charge a Shadow Ball in front of you. Hold it and use Flamethrower, making sure to direct it through the Shadow Ball."

Mark reacted in surprise, but he immediately set to work. He opened his mouth wide, and small wisps of shadow formed in front of him, creating the first stage of the new combo move. Then the back of his throat began to glow a fiery red, and he shot the flames from his mouth and aimed it at the Shadow Ball. Like before, the Shadow Ball decreased as the second attack went through it, and the Flamethrower was altered after it passed through. It was now a darker shade of red, so instead of it being bright and colorful, as usual, it was a fiery, blood colored crimson. Alpha smiled and told Mark

"Congratulations. You just learned Shadow Burn." Mark gave him a toothy smile and stood aside to let Theya take his place.

"Okay Theya, much the same, but I want you to use Ice Beam." She nodded and charged a Shadow Ball in her left, an Ice Beam in her right. She adopted the same position Rose used before, and Alpha wondered if she had contacted Theya, then Theya unleashed a dark, glittering beam of ice. Where it struck, a massive stalagmite of the darkened crystal formed, glinting in the bright sunlight, reflecting within it the beauty of the power of ghosts. Alpha chuckled and said

"And that, ladies and gentleman, is Shadow Freeze. Mark, melt that with Shadow Burn, if you please."

Mark seemed eager as he quickly charged the Shadow Ball and fired his Flamethrower, aiming at the ice and even sweeping his head a bit to get maximum range. Thankfully, the Shadow Ball remained in front of his face the whole time, giving Alpha a bit of relief on that point. He knew that the combo attack wouldn't work as well if it didn't fully utilize the ghost move, but he hadn't been sure if circumstances would have worked in his favor if the secondary move missed the base move. Now confident in these discoveries, he allowed his pokemon to crow in delight at these new moves and the power it presented them with. Then he returned the two he brought out, satisfied with the success, and took a seat with Rose on a nearby bench.

Lexi stepped down from Alpha's shoulders and curled up between him and Rose, and they both looked down fondly at her. Alpha rubbed her back and whispered

"I remember when Lucy was like that. She was so sweet, and always bitterly rivaled with Woof. They never got tired of shooting fire at each other. Woof could handle it better, but Lucy has Flash Fire, so he was really helping her defeat him. The look on his face was so funny, but when he evolved before she did, he had accidentally found a Fire Stone, she became… infatuated with him. With his help, they found another Fire Stone and evolved her, and the two became mates." Rose smiled and said

"That's a nice story, Alpha. How many more do you have like it?" Alpha chuckled and said

"More than you think. And you know, there were quite a few pokemon that I received from a trade or a professor, but the majority of the pokemon I have I rescued in one way or another. You, for example. I later learned that I had rescued you from the clutches of a man who was affiliated with the pokemon black market. You surely would have come in for big money, a young virgin female Ralts. If I hadn't been in Rustboro that evening, who knows where you would be right now?" Rose shuddered and replied

"Let's not think like that, okay?" Alpha shook his head and responded

"You don't understand, Rose; it's pretty much my job to think like that. If nothing else, it serves as both an incentive to continue and as a reminder of what can happen if I slack off. The best thing to do would be to shut those accursed black markets down for good, but they have a way of hiding. Besides, even if they _do _get shut down, some lowlife will just start it back up. The fact remains that my job is to protect all pokemon from danger, but I'm just one guy. I don't think Arceus has another knight…"

"Why don't you just ask him?" Rose asked. Alpha shook his head and replied

"No, if he _did _have another knight, wouldn't he have just sent me straight to him, instead of sending me to train under the Musketeers? Moreover, Heatran explained that my sword was a one-of-a-kind, never made before. Even if Arceus had another knight before me, he fell out of grace and Arceus could see the potential in me, so he enlisted me. At any rate, there's no one I could think of who would know the position I find myself in, spreading justice over the lands. I used to be just a kid, a simple-minded kid who, like the rest of my peers, aspired to be a pokemon trainer. In Orre, though, there was no such thing as the Pokemon League. All you had to do was challenge wild pokemon until you could take on trainers. I already had an advantage in that my father had left me a pokemon before he left."

Rose stared at him for a moment, then asked

"What was it? And where is it now?" Alpha chuckled and reached into his pack, drawing out a pokeball.

"He left me an Eevee, which I evolved into an Umbreon. I named him Umbra, perhaps not very original, but it suited him. Come on out, Umbra!" The pokeball opened in his hand and a flash of bright light settled on the floor before him, revealing an old-looking Umbreon. He looked up at Alpha with some effort, and he smiled and said

"Hello again, Michael." Alpha rolled his eyes and responded

"My name's Alpha, didn't you get the memo when Arceus revived me?" His smile grew and he replied

"I've known you longer than any of your other pokemon, and you have always been Michael to me, no matter what region we visited. Since you couldn't understand me before, you couldn't contradict me. Besides, you wouldn't deny an old pokemon the pleasure of referring to his oldest friend by his real name, would you?" Alpha chuckled and picked him up, setting him in his lap and scratching him behind the ears.

"No, I wouldn't. You have been with me the longest, so I guess I would expect you to remember my name by _this _time." Alpha thought back to the times they had experienced, then laughed a bit.

"Hehe, remember that pathetic first grunt we battled against?" Umbreon scrunched his forehead in thought, then asked

"The one who had the Teddiursa which was the first shadow you caught after having _just_ received the Snag Machine?"

"That's the one" Alpha answered.

"He had a strange personality, as I remember. Didn't he rush to tell his boss the developments of his mission, leaving the Teddiursa behind without a fight?"

"Yep. And we went all over the place to find the professor. From Agate, to Gideon, and Pyrite. When we finally found their base, we attacked with a vengeance. That pink-haired girl was quite the annoyance, though. She gave us some trouble, she did." Umbra nodded his head thoughtfully, then said

"By far, the one who annoyed me most was the arrogant idiot who thought he had control of Phenac. He depended on those moronic sextuplets to disguise themselves as the leader of that gym, what was his name?"

"Justy."

"Right. It was amazing no one suspected anything, even when they came out. Of course, by that time most of the citizens had been trapped underground. Still, that guy was quite the irritation, thinking he had the world under his finger, when in reality he was one of the weakest leaders! If anyone was powerful and wasn't the mastermind, it was that gorilla-man."

"Oh yeah, Gorigan."

"You know, after you left for Kanto the wild pokemon really started coming back. And that was when I found my mate, Mei. Arceus, did I love her, and she blessed me with six little ones, which you have done a remarkable job with. Can I see my children, Michael?"

"Of course" Alpha replied, already fishing out the remainder of his eeveelutions. He released them all and let Umbra back onto the ground. They all rushed him, the girls shouting

"Daddy!"

The boys approached more slowly, but they had grins on their faces all the same. Alpha smiled at the sight of them all. Ruby, the Espeon; Pyro, the Flareon; Aqua, the Vaporeon; Spark, the Jolteon; Crystal, the Glaceon; and Ivy, the Leafeon. He had loved them all equally and raised them to be as strong as their father after he had returned briefly to Orre for a visit and found that Umbra had started a family. He had been very proud of him, and he helped Umbra to the best of his ability since his mate as disappeared overnight.

Umbra had agreed to let Michael take them under his wing, as long as he could come along. Michael had acquiesced and soon Ruby, a female, had evolved into an Espeon. It wasn't hard to find the stones to evolve Pyro and Spark, both boys. Aqua had been a bit harder to work with though. She had always loved water but couldn't decide whether to become a Vaporeon or not. Eventually, she touched the Water Stone and evolved, and she hadn't regretted it, except for not becoming one sooner. The last two, both female, had waited to see what they could be. Luckily, after Michael's, then Lucas, Sinnoh journey, he had learned there were two more options for them. He quickly presented them, and both girls had been excited about the news. One of them loved the cold, so being a Glaceon was the obvious choice. Ivy wasn't all too sure, but since she didn't want to be anything else, she settled for Leafeon, growing to like it, no pun intended.

Alpha relaxed and let the overlapping voices wash over him, feeling truly at ease again.

**Done for now, but we're not finished yet! Not by a long shot, so don't get your panties in a twist! Just review and be patient. Thank you.**


	22. Ch 22: Finishing The Job

**Okay, so more or less I am suffering from a lot of stress right now, and I need to take my mind off things. This will help me do that, so enjoy the chapter. For future references, the updates I get up will become less frequent since life is really starting to catch up and beat me down. Nevertheless, I will continue this story.**

Alpha stepped off the cruise ship onto a port in Castelia City, appreciating the reprieve. The cruise had been nice, but he felt rather confined there. He didn't want to waste any time, however, so he made sure Lexi was secure on his shoulder, Rose still by his side, and the egg safely in his clutches. Recently the egg had been shaking somewhat, and he could swear every now and then he could hear one or more squeaking sounds coming from it.

It was getting close to night, however, and Alpha remembered that the journey across Skyarrow Bridge was particularly long, so he decided to grab a room in the local Pokemon Center for the night. He found it quickly and went inside, and people looked at the door as they usually do when someone new arrives. The difference, though, was that the sight that greeted them was stranger than normal. Here was an adult man wearing some odd clothing indeed, with a sword no less, traveling with a Gardevoir outside of its ball, a Vulpix on his shoulder, and carrying an egg. It wasn't the egg so much that was strange, that was normal in itself for the occasional trainer, but to be keeping a pokemon out of its ball was rather weird. But this man was keeping _two _pokemon out.

Alpha ignored the stares he received and went to the front desk, whereupon he said

"I need a room for the night, please." The nurse took his visage in for a moment, then snapped back to work.

"Very well. Sign here, please." Alpha signed his new name (though it wasn't very new to him anymore) and the nurse stared at it and him for another moment. She shook her head slightly and muttered something that sounded distinctly like

"-showoff trainers."

Alpha accepted his room key with a nod, and then to allay the stares he returned Rose to her ball and stared them back. They quickly returned to their other business and he went to his new room. He unlocked the door and went inside, appreciating the simplicity of the motel-like accommodations. He set aside his pack and searched around the room to see if there might be anything suspicious. He had begun to wonder if he was being watched, and that was important tonight because he had a question for Arceus, one which, after his conversation with Rose back on the ship, would not let him relax.

After he determined nothing was out of the ordinary, and he closed the curtains he called to Arceus. The god appeared in front of him, scaring the living daylights out of Lexi, and it took a little while to soothe her. When she understood who it was in front of her, her big eyes grew rounder, and both Alpha and Arceus chuckled. Arceus looked at Alpha and said

"So, you wished to speak with me?" Alpha nodded and sat down on his bed, rubbing his temples since he'd had a headache for a while, the matter in his mind giving him worry.

"Arceus, tell me the truth; am I your first knight?" Arceus sighed and was bathed in a soft white light. When it dissipated, what was revealed was a human that had the same presence as Arceus, and his resemblance to the god's looks was somewhat uncanny. He wore all white; shirt, pants, jacket, even his hair was white! The only difference was that he was wearing a gold, emerald studded belt and golden shoes. His red eyes pierced Alpha as he answered the question.

"No, you are not the first choice I have made for a knight. However, you _are _the first to have made it this far." Alpha's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he asked

"What do you mean 'made it this far'?" Arceus sat in a chair and faced him, then replied

"You do not honestly believe that I made the choice to adopt a knight only after seeing your pokemon, do you? No, I have had that idea for many, many years now. I chose to test you to see if you were worthy of becoming my knight. I have tested many young trainers whom I thought could be potential allies to my cause. However, they were either too brash to realize not to take on certain enemies, or that committing certain acts would result in the loss of their status. Only recently have I realized that someone who has extensive life experience could avoid such a fate, but for obvious reasons that was out of the question. Once I saw the conditions that faced you and your pokemon, I figured I could use the situation to my advantage. I restored your youth but kept your memories so you would not lose the wisdom you gained during your lifetime. By doing this, I ensured that I did not select an idiot or a cripple to spread peace throughout the land. I'm sorry you're not the original knight, but I am happy to say that so far you are my favorite."

Alpha bent his head in disappointment, but if he was honest with himself, he figured this would be the answer. Arceus stood and said

"Listen to me Alpha; we often have questions, and we will not be satisfied until we have our answer, even if it isn't to our liking. However, I will say this; of all the knights I have enlisted, you are the only one who has been able to draw that sword. Even if you aren't the original White Knight, you are by far the worthiest of the position. And I understand that things have changed too much for your liking. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't take advantage of it, either. The fact that no one besides your pokemon know you among the human world means that you can give information that might otherwise cause you harm in return for other, more useful information. Life will throw many surprises at you; what determines who you are is how you react to them."

And with that the deity took his leave. Alpha gathered his thoughts and sat back, releasing a pent up breath. He could accept he wasn't the first knight in Arceus' roster, and it was heartening to know that he had been the only one to be able to utilize the sword's power. But there was something rather depressing about being just another face in the lineup. Perhaps his case was unique, but that didn't move past his issues that none of the other knights had faced. Or had it been worse for them, sending their pokemon to a sure death?

Alpha couldn't tell, but he knew this much; out of all the knights, Arceus said he had survived the longest, and while that was frightening to some level, it also encouraged him to continue. At least, while he was the only one able to wield the sword's power, he could use it to further the goals of spreading peace and goodwill. With that in mind, and with the prospect of being the first knight to master the sword, he soon fell asleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The next morning he decided to set out early. He returned the key to the desk nurse, who seemed surprised for someone other than her to be up so early. He left without saying anything and continued down the road to the gate entrance/exit. He came out and saw a wide expanse of ocean, and hovering over it was a long bridge he couldn't see the end to. Setting his apprehension aside, he climbed up the stairs to the bridge and began his long trek across. While he walked, he stared out over the ocean, wondering just what creatures could be found in the briny depths. There was your general sea pokemon, of course, but many scientists were convinced that there were others that they had yet to find, just as there were new discoveries about existing pokemon every day.

Alpha walked on, sometimes passing other people along the way. When he was about halfway across, Alpha heard a loud cracking noise. He looked around until he felt the egg in his arms shake violently. He quickly looked down and realized there were cracks spreading across the surface of the egg. His hand zoomed to his belt and he released Leya, not wanting her to miss this. She yawned and asked

"What's going on?" Alpha didn't have time to respond as the next loud _crack_ resounded through the air. Leya's expression widened in surprise, then changed to ecstasy. Before long, the cracks began to glow and the egg pulsated in Alpha's arms. He set it on the ground, and a bright light consumed the egg. After it faded, a new pokemon entered the world. It was a small lizard-like thing, smooth and colored a dull orange with large blue eyes. The most notable feature, however, was its tail which glowed with a bright orange flame.

The new pokemon was lying on its side, and Alpha bent to pick it up, and as he did, the little pokemon cooed happily, then spat a steady stream of fire that caught Alpha full in the face, leaving him charred and with an eye twitching. He fell over and Leya picked up her child, cuddling him. Tears of happiness filled her eyes as she held him, and soon Alpha picked himself up and brushed himself off, saying

"The kid takes after his father pretty well." Leya looked at her child in the eye, and she could detect traces of the determination that had always filled her late mate's gaze. She felt a sense of longing to be with him again, so he could see his proud son. Alpha came up to her and inspected the child for himself, and he couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia when Blitz had been presented to him as his partner, and he rubbed the Charmander under the chin, making him smile. Alpha smiled as well and asked Leya

"What do you want to name him?" Leya smiled at the little lizard and responded softly

"Casey." Alpha smiled a bit, then said

"Casey it is. What do you think we should do now?" Leya looked at him, her face narrowed in concentration. Then she said

"I think, if you're okay with it, that I should stay with him, at least for a while. I want to get to know him more. After all, he is my child." Alpha nodded and said

"Of course. What do you think of that, Casey?" Casey turned to Alpha and unleashed more fire in his direction; Alpha's shout of pain could be heard, and when the torrent of fire ended, Alpha was revealed, looking blackened, though his clothes were fine, and he stood lopsided. As he began to fall, he said

"Yeah, he definitely takes after his father." Then he fell to the ground, his legs sticking up into the air, and Leya laughed again, feeling lighter than she had as of late. Alpha picked himself up again and joined in her laughter, and the three began walking again, Leya speaking to her child, who was staring at her with wide eyes.

After a couple of hours, the end of the bridge came into sight and Alpha ran to it, emerging in Pinwheel Forest. He waited for Leya to make her arrival, then he began to let out his pokemon, one at a time. He put Lexi on his shoulder, saying he had a friend for her to meet. When all of his pokemon were staring at him, he told them

"Okay gang, while I'm training with the Musketeers, I want you guys to relax and stretch yourselves. Enjoy the forest, just don't cause trouble, okay?" His pokemon agreed amiably, and he added

"Also, Lucy, I want to speak with you for a minute." As his pokemon dispersed, Alpha took Lexi off his shoulder and set her in his arms to wait for Lucy. When she began walking toward them, accompanied by Woof, Lexi gasped but didn't say anything. Lucy stopped in front of Alpha and eyed the vulpine pokemon with curiosity. Alpha set her down in front of him and told Lucy

"This is Lexi. I found her with a trainer on a ship about a week ago. He was going to throw her overboard since she couldn't battle, and that's because she's still a baby." Lucy's hackles raised, and she growled menacingly. Lexi cowered, and Alpha told Lucy to stop. When Lucy realized what she was doing to the young pokemon, she immediately stopped and said

"I'm sorry, little one. I just hate the idea that someone would force a cub into battle with not even the most basic of moves, then try to kill them because they can't battle!" Lexi's posture straightened a bit, and she ventured forth cautiously. Lucy turned to Alpha and asked

"What do you wish for me to do with her?" Alpha smiled and said

"Lexi was separated from her family, so I figured she would feel more comfortable with someone of her own species. I just want you to play with her, if you don't mind." Woof chuckled and responded

"I don't mind; we could think of it as… practice, for when we decide to have children ourselves." Lucy blushed somewhat, and Lexi cocked her head in confusion. Lucy brushed the child's questions aside and scooped her up in her numerous tails, setting her on her back. Lexi yipped in excitement, and Alpha smiled as he watched the three disappear into the forest. Then he turned and began to walk down the path, searching for the way that would lead him to Rumination Field.

**Okay, that feels like a good place to stop. Writing this out has calmed me down quite a bit, and I hope you enjoy it. Please review or PM soon!**


	23. Ch 23: The Parting Of Old Friends

**So, everyone is really starting to like this story and how it's developing, and I am somewhat eager to please. Read through the next chapter and be amazed!**

Alpha walked along the paths until he found the one that was familiar to him. He walked along it until he came across a river, and Alpha recognized the river, but not this specific part of it. Alpha looked down both ways to see which part looked more familiar, and he chose his left. He continued to walk down it for about ten minutes, then came across his training spot with Terrakion. He recognized it because of the jagged rocks that were the result of his training with Terrakion, mostly deflecting or dodging his Hyper Beam. It was not an easy task, but he had steadily gotten better at it. Of course, Terrakion had significantly lowered the power of the move so that Alpha wouldn't have been obliterated until he was sure he could handle it.

Alpha smiled as he remembered the training, then he walked back into the forest down the path he had taken so many times before. He continued until he recognized the area where Keldeo had tutored him in courage, which he was actually a very good teacher with despite his youth. He walked on until finally he came upon Virizion's dwelling, Rumination Field. No one was there at the time, so Alpha decided to meditate for a while. As he did, various small grassland pokemon came running through, and while some looked at him curiously, most simply ignored him and continued about their business. Alpha smiled as he saw a small pair of Cottonee floating around him, begging him to play with them. He finally relented and drew his sword, summoning some air currents to blow them around for a while.

The two squealed in delight as they romped with each other in midair, and Alpha smiled at the sight. He remembered when his Whimsicott, Scott, was a little Cottonee. He would often use a handheld fan to blow him around when playing with him, and Scott had been eager to evolve so he could float higher.

Alpha, then Black, had caught Scott in this very forest, and he wondered how Scott felt to be back home again. A rustling sound caught his attention and he stood quickly, not raising his sword, but not lowering his guard either. Virizion appeared from the back of her field, and she was surprised to see Alpha again.

"_Alpha, what are you doing here?"_ Alpha smiled at the opportunity and replied

"Playing with these little Cottonee." Virizion's face became impassive and she stated

"_You humans and your sense of humor. Why have you returned?"_ Alpha sheathed his sword, telling the Cottonee he could no longer play, which they complained about but left all the same, and Alpha returned to seriousness as he answered Virizion's question.

"I have come back to finish my training. So far, there isn't anything going on and I thought since my training wasn't finished yet, or so you told me, I would finish it up and be on my way." Virizion stepped forward and told him

"_Well, I'm afraid we won't be able to help you. Terrakion, Cobalion and Keldeo have returned to their various dwellings. I have no issue with you staying here until they return in a few months' time but until then your training will remain incomplete. I apologize for this, but we were not aware you would be returning so soon."_ Alpha waved a hand and said

"That's alright, you each have lives of your own. I understand. I suppose we could hang around here for a while. Leya needs to get better acquainted with her child anyway." Virizion regarded him with confusion, then asked

"_What do mean by 'we'? And who is Leya?"_ Alpha responded

"By 'we' I mean my pokemon and I. And Leya is my Dragonite. Recently, her mate passed away, and they left me an egg. I hatched it, and right now she and her child, Casey, are becoming acquainted with each other." Virizion walked over to the spot where she often rested and lay down, saying

"_I am sorry to hear of your loss. And I wish to say congratulations as well. Taking care of a friend's child can be very rewarding."_ Alpha looked up at the canopy for a second, then returned her gaze and said

"Thank you. It means a lot that you care about my well-being, whatever the reason. But I fear that I'll be losing one more friend soon. I hope I'm wrong, but my hunches have yet to fail me."

"_Well, whatever the case, just know that while your friends may not be with you in body, they shall always remain with you in spirit. And that is a bond that can never be severed, no matter what happens."_ Alpha nodded and bowed to her, and as he rose, he could hear a voice behind him.

"Michael, can I speak with you?" Alpha flinched and turned, seeing Umbra in the entrance to Rumination Field. Umbra stiffly walked up to him, acknowledging Virizion, who bowed her head in return, and Alpha said

"What is it?" Umbra _whuffed_ as he sat down, his joints giving him some trouble. He looked up at Alpha, who sat next to him so they could speak more easily.

"My joints are becoming more and more painful with each passing year. Anyway, Michael, I wanted to speak with you about an important matter." Alpha's gaze darkened in sadness and he said

"Is it about time?" Umbra nodded his head sadly and his gaze drifted down.

"Yeah, I think so. We both knew this day would arrive, and neither of us liked it, but we knew it would happen to one of us eventually. But I don't want you to suffer, so I wanted to say that I think I should leave." Alpha's eyes misted up as he said

"Do you have to go? You know I would rather be with you the whole way." Umbra's eyes began to tear up as well and he replied

"And you know that I would appreciate that very much. But we both know that you wouldn't be able to see me like that, as much as I couldn't bear it when you had to leave us. I have already consulted this matter with my children, and they do not like it, not at all, but they agree that I am not of much use when it comes to battling anymore. I cannot move the way I used to, and my energy is quickly depleting." Alpha shook his head and told him

"Even if you couldn't battle anymore, I still appreciate your company, especially since we've been together for most of our lives. I don't want to lose you." Umbra's tears began falling and he said in a thick voice

"And I don't want to go. But you and I both know that my time is very well up, and you wouldn't be able to handle seeing me like that. I only have one request; I would like to be left in Orre. It has been, and always will be, my home. Will you help me?" Alpha looked down between his knees and let the tears fall for a time, then he returned his gaze to his friend and said

"Tell you what; Let's reminisce one more time, look back at all the good times we had. Then I'll drop you off at the Relic Stone in Agate Village. The forest behind there is peaceful, so you should be relatively safe. What do you say, old friend?" Umbra gave a shaky laugh and replied softly

"Who are you calling old?" The two friends shared a soft laugh, while Virizion, who was watching the whole scene, had a difficult time hiding her emotions. Here was an example of two friends who shared a deep bond, and the curse known as time was making its interference yet again. Umbra raised his head to meet Alpha's, and he said

"I would like nothing more than to do that. When shall we leave?" Alpha wiped his eyes and said

"How about tomorrow morning? It's getting a bit late right now, and I want to make the most of the time we have left, okay?"

Umbra nodded and felt tired, so he went to sleep then and there. Alpha shed new tears as he heard his friend's snoring, remembering the sound during their travels together. He looked at Virizion and motioned his head, asking silently if it was okay to sleep here. She nodded her head and left herself to give the two deep friends their privacy. Alpha shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the two of them, letting his warmth comfort the Umbreon.

The next morning, the two woke up at the same time, having pretty well been in sync from the beginning. They smiled at each other, then their smiles faded as they remembered Alpha's promise. Alpha put his jacket back on and returned Umbra, wanting to be sure nothing happened to him until they reached their destination. He called one of his younger flying types, his Altaria, and told her they were going to Orre. He went through the forest and whistled loudly to catch the attention of the rest of his friends. He informed them that they would be away for a while and to keep the forest safe while he was gone. Then he climbed on top of Altaria and they flew away.

Over the course of the week-long journey, Alpha remembered all the places he wanted to visit while they were in Orre, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss as they continued.

When they finally arrived in Orre, Alpha directed Altaria to the place where the old research lab had stood. It had been leveled long ago, sometime after his Sinnoh league journey. He remembered the place, though, and he returned Altaria and let out Umbra. He gestured to the old place where their first home had been, and the two shared fond memories. Then they moved on to Dr. Kaminko's house. Somehow the building was still standing, though it was in extremely poor condition now, and Kaminko was long gone. Alpha reminisced about how Chobin would often mistake him for a burglar and foolishly challenge him to a battle, then after he had worked with his pokemon suit, the Robo-Groudon, he had left to show the world the power of Robo-pokemon.

Next they visited the sea port Gateon. Here some things had changed. The Pokemon Center and the PokeMart were the same as ever, and the lighthouse was still there, but the Krabby Club had been taken down, and the Robo-Kyogre was nowhere to be seen. The parts shop had been relocated a while ago, and while there were still the houses, no one he knew still lived in them. He and Umbra decided to look at the view from the lighthouse. Umbra insisted on taking the stairs up, and when they arrived, Alpha and Umbra took a deep breath of the sea breeze. They looked far out at Citadark Isle, and while it was no longer as foreboding as it had been, they still did not want to see it up close again. Then the pair traveled to Pyrite Town, where everything was as ramshackle as it had always been. This was one area that had changed very little, which made Alpha sigh in contentment, but at the same time he felt a distinct hate for the town, as well as himself.

The next place they went was Phenac, the desert oasis. Nothing had changed here, either, except for the people. They enjoyed the sights and moved on to Realgam Tower. They searched through the place, the casino, the battle CD booth, and they even watched a tournament together. Alpha didn't want to waste too much time checking the old villain's bases, but he had to know what, if anything, had happened to them. Upon arriving at the desert Cipher base, all he saw was the vast expanse of the desert. It seemed that it had been disassembled after Cipher was defeated for good. That made Alpha wonder about the ship that was in the desert, the _S.S. Libra_. He and Umbra went there, and besides a few hunks of rusted metal, there was no sign left of the enormous cruise ship.

Next they checked Team Snagem's base, which was nothing more than an extra-large pile of rubble. Then the Shadow Factory, personally shut down by Michael, which had long since disappeared. Then they went to Mt. Battle, and Alpha could feel that their time together was drawing to a close. They checked the Orre Coliseum, which was still in full swing, and Alpha knew he could not delay the inevitable any longer. He and Umbra finally went to Agate Village, the main retirement village for everyone in Orre.

Alpha and Umbra walked around slowly, trying to enjoy their last hour together. They looked out over the edges of the village, appreciating its cleanliness and familiarity. At last, they traveled through the natural tunnel that led to Relic Forest, which housed the Relic Stone. It was said to have been left by Celebi. Alpha ran his hands over the smooth stone, remembering how much help it had been during his campaign against Cipher. Then he looked down at Umbra, who was silently shedding tears of sorrow. Alpha's own eyes were wet, and the two embraced. Alpha told him thickly

"You take good care of yourself now, you hear?" Umbra nodded and replied

"You do the same. And make sure you take care of my children and grandchildren, or else I'll have to haunt you." He was attempting to lighten the mood, and Alpha gave a small, sad chuckle. They embraced one last time, and Alpha whispered

"Goodbye, old friend." Umbra replied just as softly.

"Goodbye." The two separated, Alpha heading back to Agate, Umbra leaving through the forest. Alpha and Umbra turned and looked at each other one last time. Alpha sniffed and wiped his nose, then gave a sad smile and a thumbs-up. His attempt at gallantry was foiled by the fact that his hand was shaking, and Umbra replied with one last move; Dark Pulse. Then the two turned and continued their different paths. Alpha came out of the tunnel with tears running freely down his face. He called out Altaria and got onto her, then choked out

"Pinwheel Forest." Without a word, Altaria lifted off gently and flew away from the land he once held dear, but which now only held bad memories for him. He barely managed to choke down his wail, which was tearing at his throat for escape. But he swallowed it and said one last thing.

"Have a good time, Umbra."

**Oh, my throat is **_**really **_**tight right now, making it hard to breathe. I'm beginning to wonder if anyone hates me for writing this stuff down, but don't worry, things will pick up in the next few chapters. For now, please review or PM me any questions you might have. Thanks.**


	24. Ch 24: A Present Of Hope

**Okay, I said things were doing to pick up, and they will. Just watch hopefully and see the magic happen!**

Alpha saw the land of Unova from atop Altaria's back, and he felt somewhat better since he could see his friends again. But there would always be that underlying sadness that followed the loss of one's lifelong friend. Altaria needed no direction, so Alpha contemplated what had happened over the past two and a half weeks. It took him about a week to make it to Orre, a few days to spend with Umbra, then another week to get back. He wondered what his pokemon had been up to the entire time. Maybe they had trained, or possibly relaxed the whole time. It didn't matter too much to Alpha, just so long as he hadn't lost anyone else during the time. He wouldn't be able to stand another loss right now.

He landed in Rumination Field, where he had a pleasant surprise. There, waiting for him, was Virizion, accompanied by Rose and Loran. Rose seemed happy to see him, but he could tell that something was on her mind. Loran himself, however, looked nothing short of proud. Rose came up to him as he dismounted Altaria and hugged him, being careful not to impale him on her chest spike.

"How are you?" she asked. Alpha smiled and returned the hug, saying

"Better now. Thank you." Rose stepped back and she seemed to be hiding something, and Alpha smiled slyly and asked

"Alright what's going on, you two? You're hiding something from me, now what is it?" Rose smirked and told him

"You'll have to close your eyes first." Now he grew suspicious and asked

"Why?" Rose's smirk grew and she replied

"If you want to find out, you have to close your eyes first." Rolling his eyes, Alpha chuckled and decided to humor her.

"Alright" he said as he closed his eyes, shrouding his vision in blackness. There was an amount of rustling, then he heard footsteps in front of him, and he was tempted to peek, but he abstained.

"Okay," Rose said finally. "Open your eyes."

He opened them, and what he saw took him by surprise. Rose was blushing a little, and Loran stood tall, straight, and proud. Both of them were carrying white eggs that had green and pink spots on them. Alpha stood there, mouth agape, as he pointed at the two of them, unable to speak. Loran grinned and said

"Yeah, we did." Alpha was dumbstruck, to say the least, but he shook with joy. After he managed to clear his throat, he looked up at the parents and asked

"What do you want to do with them?" Rose stepped up and said

"These are to be our heirs, for when we can no longer serve with you. I don't know if I managed to bear a son and a daughter, but I hope you will accept them." Alpha pulled Rose and Loran into a hug, and while there, he said to the both of them

"Thank you. You don't know what this means to me. I just wish Umbra and Blitz could be here to see this." They all shared a moment of tenderness, then Alpha broke the hug and straightened up, saying

"Follow me. We'll put those two into storage, and I'll hatch them and gladly raise them when your time comes, let that day come late."

He unclipped his badge and held it up, concentrating on the Hall of Origin. The portal opened up and he ushered his two psychics through it, telling them to hold tight. Then he followed them and appeared before the massive golden doors that led into the Hall of Origin. Loran and Rose looked around them, their faces filled with awe.

"Is this really…?" Loran asked, unable to finish his question. Alpha nodded and replied

"Yep, this is the Hall of Origin, dwelling of Arceus."

Without waiting, Alpha pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside, motioning for his pokemon to follow him. They did, and they couldn't stop looking around them, as if they would never see this again, and chances were they wouldn't. Alpha walked to the room that had been set aside for him and presented his badge, opening the door with a _click_. They all stepped in and Rose and Loran gasped at the room, amazed by the amount of eggs they saw. They began to look around the room, peering at the eggs and the information about them. Rose looked at Alpha and asked

"How many eggs do you have here?" Alpha chuckled and responded

"Well, according to the computer, I have almost two hundred and fifty. And we'll add your eggs to that number. Come over here."

He led them to a shelf that was filled with psychic types. He had taken a couple days a while back to organize the egg room in a way he liked, keeping the types together. He had a special machine set aside, requesting it from Arceus, that would allow him to identify what pokemon was in the egg. Since both Rose and Loran evolved from Ralts, though, it would be unnecessary. He motioned to Loran, who handed him his egg. Alpha pushed the activate button, and the machine requested the egg. Alpha carefully balanced it on the machine, and an orange light came up and scanned the egg. Then the information started to appear on the screen. When it was done, Alpha read it, along with Rose and Loran.

Type: Psychic.

Pokemon: Ralts.

Gender: Female.

Parents: Loran and Rose.

Beneath that was another line that said

Begin stasis field: Confirm?

Alpha hit the button that confirmed it, and a rich purple field rose out of the machine, keeping the egg safe in stasis. Then he moved on to the machine next to it, also empty, and looked over at Rose, who surrendered her egg. He activated the machine and followed the same process, and after the machine scanned the egg it said

Type: Psychic.

Pokemon: Ralts.

Gender: Male.

Parents: Loran and Rose.

Alpha smiled widely, and Rose's eyes grew big as she realized she had provided her master with the right genders after all. They all shared another hug, then they left the room and closed the door, locking it. Alpha brought up his badge and transported them back to the forest, where he thanked them again for all they had done. They accepted his thanks and gave their own, for him being a gracious person and bringing them together. They left him with Virizion, Loran draping an arm over Rose's shoulder. Alpha sighed and sat down on the ground, thinking.

"_Are you all right, Alpha?" _Virizion asked him. Alpha shook his head and grunted, not so sure himself.

"_Do you regret them having children at all, or entrusting them to you?"_ He shook his head violently and vehemently said

"No, I would never regret two mates having children, least of all my pokemon." Then he hesitated, and when he spoke again, it was with less urgency and more sadness.

"But the only reason I'll know their children is because they'll have moved on. I don't want that to happen, especially not to Rose. She has been one of the best advisers and counselors I could have asked for. Every time I started to think in the wrong direction, she would be there to turn it around. But I know she can't be there with me forever, and to place that burden on her children seems wrong to me." Virizion nudged him back up to his feet and said

"_You are letting your thoughts travel in the wrong direction. You should not let your losses consume you; instead, you should celebrate their lives with happiness and fondness. I realize that this is still new to you, and I understand that it is hard to lose someone you deeply care about. Therefore, I will help you learn to overcome the crushing depression you feel when you lose one of your friends. I am not saying become heartless-" _she started, stopping Alpha before he could say anything.

"_All I am saying is that you can't afford to sink into your growing depression when you lose someone."_ Alpha sighed in defeat, knowing she was right. He saw a green glow, and when he looked up, he realized that Virizion had drawn her Sacred Sword. She motioned to him and said

"_Come, let us spar. I wish to know how far you have come, and it will take your mind off this subject for a while."_ Alpha smiled and nodded, then drew his blessed blade with its multi-colored pommel. He settled into his battle stance, and before long his emotions were wiped away to focus on the battle before him, making him feel lighter than he had for the last week.

The ringing of blades resounded in the air, and many of Alpha's pokemon gathered to watch their master fight, never having seen it before. They watched as he and Virizion traded blows, and while Virizion was veritably stronger and faster than Alpha, he possessed a determination that burned in his eyes, and no matter how many times he fell to the ground, he always got back up and pushed forward, trying to force Virizion to yield.

Alpha's pokemon watched apprehensively as he fell to the ground yet again, but this time he didn't jump up. They grew worried as he didn't move, and Virizion stepped forward to inspect him. Suddenly he jumped up and thrust his sword to her, stopping the blade before it met her throat, and he held the position, smirking and saying

"You should never let your guard down." He lowered the sword and stepped back, waiting for her reaction. After a moment, she put her sword away and bowed to him, telling him

"_Very good, Alpha. I admit I did not expect that. In the future, though, I would advise you not to employ that method, because it can lead to trouble."_

Alpha nodded and sheathed the blade, bowing back to Virizion. He left Rumination Field to explore the forest a little more, and he found something that caught his attention. It was a pin, one that had the initials T.C. on it. He studied it, but could come up with no explanation. He pocketed the pin and continued on.

After about twenty minutes, going deeper in the forest than he had before, Alpha heard a multitude of voices. He snuck up to them, keeping his profile low. He soon realized that he was up on a precipice overlooking the area where the voices were coming from. He decided to take the risk and find out what was happening.

There was a gathering of five people below him, and all but four of them had the pin he found earlier attached to their shirts. He took it out and looked at it again, comparing the two, and found it to be an exact match. He replaced the pin in his pocket and listened in on their conversation.

"Are you sure that it's in here? Because we've searched the whole damn forest and not come up with shit!" yelled out one of them.

"Look, who's in charge here?! I'm the one leadin' this little 'expedition' and I'll be the one who gives out the orders, understand?!" Some of the others grumbled but didn't say anything else.

"Why are we even looking for that stupid green deer? Isn't it the blue one we want?" asked the guy who didn't have his pin. The leader of the group smacked him upside the head and said

"Of course we want the blue one, dipshit! But we need the green one to lure it in. Johnson, hand me the file" he said, stretching his hand out to someone who quickly turned round and began filing through something Alpha couldn't see. A moment later, Johnson handed the leader a small folder that had three pictures sticking out of it. They were indistinct, especially from Alpha's position, but they each consisted of three colors; one was somewhat green, another was a light blue, and the last was beige. Alpha's feeling of unease grew as he saw those colors which closely resembled the colors that made up the coats of his masters.

The leader rifled through the file until he brought out a slip of paper, then coughed and read from it.

"Yeah, the green deer is Virizion, the blue one's Cobalion, and the last one's Terrakion."

"And why does the boss want them?" asked the pinless, and apparently brainless, one. He was smacked with the file this time, which looked painful, and the leader shouted

"You numbskull, do I have to repeat everything for ya?! Okay, the boss wants these three, especially Cobalion, because of his metal heart. The legend goes that it has a body, mind, and heart of steel. The boss wants this for himself. Gettit?" The one without his pin frowned and said

"But why does he want them? I mean, can you really benefit from takin' some pokemon's heart out?" He was smacked again and again until the leader grew tired, then he shouted while panting.

"How dare you question our leader's motives?! All he's done is provide you with food, shelter, and powerful pokemon, asking only one thing in return. And you have the nerve to question him?! Nobody questions the might of Team Chaos, do you hear me?!"

Alpha took the badge out again, careful not to make a sound that could be heard over the man's crying, and inspected it again. The initials stuck out gold against a black background, T.C., and it suddenly made sense. He needed to know more before making a plan, though. Surely the goals of this team weren't simply to go after _one _supposed pokemon's heart of steel. He turned back to the team and kept observing them.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! I just don't understand it, is all!"

"You don't need to understand, all you need to do is follow orders! Now, do we got all of the weapons?" A couple of them nodded and pointed over to a large bundle of… something, covered with a sheet of some sort.

"Good. Any news from the boss yet?" One shook his head, telling him no.

"Okay, then. How are our provisions?" The one missing the pin gave a thumbs-up, and the leader nodded approvingly.

"Alright then, we'll begin our search again in about an hour. In the meantime, check the map and see where we haven't been yet."

They dispersed and went to separate locations. The two who had been the indicator of weapons went over to them and lifted the sheet, nearly causing Alpha to gasp. Under it he could see all sorts of tools that could be used for the purpose of tracking down, and possibly killing, any prey. There were night vision goggles, what looked like tranquilizer guns, though Alpha believed those weren't tranquilizers, nets of various sizes, and even some explosives. The leader had gone back into his tent, while the other two were poring over a map of the forest, most of which was shaded red. They were close enough that Alpha could make out the basic shape of what they had gone over. He realized they hadn't hit Rumination Field yet, but if they worked for more than an hour, they would easily find it.

Deciding he had seen enough, Alpha slunk back through the undergrowth until he found the trail he had used to get there. Once he felt he was at a safe distance, he began sprinting back to Rumination Field to warn Virizion of the impending danger.

**Aaaand… cut! Okay, so a new evil syndicate has been introduced and they're targeting the Three Musketeers. What will happen next?!**


	25. Ch 25: To Warn A Legend

**Hehehe. You are all under my spell now, aren't you? I've got you entwined in my plot, and you can't tear yourselves away from it, can you? Bwahahahahahahahaha! In all seriousness, though, thank you for continuing to read. Hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

Alpha practically flew through the forest, hoping to get to Virizion before she left for wherever she went. He ran, occasionally coming across one of his pokemon, who he ordered to follow him. They did, but with bemused expressions, and he wouldn't answer their questions. He burst into Rumination Field and saw it empty, except for the two Cottonee he had been playing with last time. They saw him and began to cheer, thinking their playmate had returned. But Alpha shook his head and said

"I'm sorry, I don't have time to play right now. Do either of you know where Virizion is? It's of grave importance!" The two children looked scared at his tone, but they shook their heads. Alpha nearly cursed, but held himself. He looked to the pokemon around him and said

"You might want to cover your ears." He waited for them to do so, then he put his thumb and forefinger to his mouth and whistled shrilly. After a few minutes, the rest of his pokemon began to converge on him, wondering what was going on. When he had the entirety of the group in front of him, he shouted out

"Okay, has anyone seen Virizion within the last hour or so?" Everyone shook their heads, and Alpha nearly swore again. He clenched his fist in annoyance, and Rose ventured to ask

"Alpha, what's wrong?" Alpha's head snapped back up and he replied

"A new team we weren't aware about has shown up. They're calling themselves Team Chaos, and all I know right now is they're after the Musketeer Trio. We need to find her before they do; they're packing some serious heat!" Everyone started mumbling among themselves, but Alpha called for their attention again.

"Okay," he said, "we need to split up and find her. Flyers, you take to the skies, take some of the lighter pokemon with you. Two sets of eyes are better than one. Altaria, you're with me." Alpha heard her reply, then he continued.

"Grass types, I want you to keep watch over the forest. Psychics, you stay with a group of them; keep a psychic link with Rose, she'll be with me, too. Everyone else, spread out and ask around. Watch out for guys in black pants and shirts, wearing this pin on them."

And he held up the pin for their inspection. They all nodded, confirming they agreed. Then they all began to split up, some of the smaller pokemon catching rides with the flyers, but none of them grass types. The idea was that they could camouflage themselves better than any other type, so they could keep a watch over the forest for either Virizion or Team Chaos.

Alpha and Rose climbed onto Altaria, and she took off into the air, already accustomed to carrying heavy loads. He and Rose began to comb the forest, Alpha with his eyes and Rose with her mind. She was also getting a slew of information from the other psychics, mostly about getting into position. Soon the psychic link quieted down and Rose could focus more of her energy into finding Virizion. Altaria flew over the forest, as low as she could get. Alpha didn't care too much about being suspicious right now, since their top priority was finding and possibly saving Virizion.

Rose received a message from the psychic link about twenty minutes in, saying that members of Team Chaos had been spotted. They were searching, just as Alpha and the crew were, but they didn't appear to have nearly as strong a force. Alpha was relieved to hear that, but he didn't pause in his search.

They continued flying for another half hour when suddenly Rose got a contact from a psychic directly below them.

"She's beneath us, ten meters north, but they're on top of her!"

Altaria dived in a northerly direction. They passed under the tree line and could see Virizion, who seemed disoriented, and two of the Chaos goons, aiming those tranquilizer guns at her. Alpha whispered for Rose to teleport them in front of her, and she did so as they were preparing a net gun. Alpha and Rose arrived in a flash of light before Virizion, and the goon was so surprised at the sight of some random guy with a drawn sword and a Gardevoir teleport in front of their target that he accidentally pulled the trigger, firing the net.

Alpha used the power of fire to slice at the net just as it began to open up, stopping its advance and efficiently burning it up. The other guy fired his own net which met the same fate as its predecessor. Alpha then used the power of wind to blow them back several yards and advanced on them. He grabbed one by the collar of his shirt and pointed his sword into the other guy's chest, stopping him from moving.

"All right, why do you want the Musketeers, huh?!" Alpha was now interrogating the guy, and while he did that Rose went to check up on Virizion's condition.

"How are you, Lady Virizion?"

"_Not well, youngling. They hit me with something I cannot remove. It is on my neck, around the middle."_ Rose searched over her neck, Virizion directing her when she couldn't find it. She discovered something small, near one of her scarf-like appendages. She inspected it, and it looked like a small dart with a sharp end and a dull end. It was very streamlined, ensuring accuracy and penetration into the victim. Worse still, it seemed barbed. Rose winced and explained

"This thing is barbed, so what I have to do is try to push the skin and muscle around it away so I can draw it out without causing damage. This will hurt considerably."

"_Do what you must" _Virizion told her. Rose nodded and said

"Try not to interrupt me, or I might screw up." Virizion nodded, then closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. Rose looked deep within her subconscious and tapped into the psychic force that was hers and hers alone to command. She relaxed her breathing and opened her eyes, beginning to concentrate of the process itself, which was no easy task. She had to find each of the barbs that had sunk into her and push whatever it was sunk into back so it released her. Then she had to move on to the next one, keeping the previous one from sinking back into her. When she finished the arduous process, she had to draw it out of her neck without causing her further harm. It was easy to see why this was such a delicate procedure, and an incomplete one at that. If she wasn't careful, she might end up blocking blood flow to something vital, such as her heart, or even her brain!

Slowly, but as quickly as she could manage, Rose took the dart out of Virizion's body, causing her to shiver in pain. She released her hold on the psychic energy and grabbed the dart by the dull end. She inspected it further to reveal that the tip seemed to be coated in something strangely colored. She avoided touching it at all costs, and after she finished inspecting it, not taking more than a moment, she returned her attention to Virizion and used Recover on her. After she saw the wound close up, she asked

"How do you feel now?"

"_Much better now, thank you."_ Rose nodded her head and returned to watch Alpha. He somehow had the two tied up with tough vines. He was waiting on their situation update.

"She's better now, but I had to take this out of her neck" she sent the dart over to him with her power, and he gently plucked it out of the air and inspected it closely for himself. His face hardened when he saw the barbs on the dart, and he held it up and said

"You had to take this out of her _neck_?" Rose nodded and said

"With the dangerous psychic medical procedure. I managed to pull it off, but it was very tense." Alpha nodded and turned to the two he had wrapped up, then brandished his sword at them and said

"Alright you two, start talking; how does this work?" They refused to say anything, and Alpha grinned maliciously, saying

"Wrong answer." Then he lit his sword on fire and began to push it toward them, and the two goons were terrified. Finally one of them started shouting.

"Okay, okay! It's a submission dart! It works by releasing neurotoxins into the bloodstream! But it only lasts as long as the dart is implanted! Otherwise it's completely harmless! The barbs just make sure it doesn't go anywhere!" Alpha put the fire out on his sword and lowered it, saying

"That's more like it. Now, why are you after the Musketeers? What's your purpose in pursuing them?"

"We don't know anything about that! All we're doing is following orders, we don't get told anything about why we're working this job, we just do it!" Alpha frowned and his sword lowered even further.

"That's makes no sense. Why would you blindly follow orders that might cause you harm? What do you gain out of this?"

"We get strong pokemon as well as food and shelter. In return, our boss asks us to perform some simple tasks."

"Trying to capture legends by force is simple, when you just were easily defeated by me?" Alpha skeptically asked.

"Hey, we weren't expecting some random jerk to show up with a magic sword and slice up our nets!" Alpha snorted and said

"And I suppose you will be expecting me to just let you go, right?" They both nodded hopefully, and Alpha pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He raised his sword and summoned the power to govern plants. He made some blades of grass grow until they were blindfold-sized, then used them for that purpose. After he blindfolded them, he said

"I'm going to take you back to your base. I expect you to tell your boss exactly what happened. Tell him what you saw here, including the extent of my abilities. My name is Alpha, and I am the White Knight of Arceus. The pokemon of this forest, of this region, of this world are under my protection. If I get word of you goons messing around and trying to capture any more Legends, especially Cobalion, you won't get off so easy. Am I understood?"

They nodded, and Alpha motioned for Rose to help him out. He allowed her into his mind and gave her the location to teleport. Her eyes glowed white and they all disappeared in a flash of the same color. They appeared in a clearing and Alpha dumped them off, telling them

"You can wait for your goon friends to untie you, unless you can figure it out for yourselves. Remember, I'm watching this forest." He motioned to Rose and she teleported them back to Rumination Field. Once there, Virizion turned to Alpha and bowed.

"_I thank you for saving me. I know nothing about why they pursued me. Can you shed some light on that matter?"_ Alpha nodded and began his narrative.

"I was walking through the forest, going farther back than ever before, when I heard voices. I traveled back, along the path I found this." He held up the pin with the initials of the new potential threat, allowing Virizion to inspect it herself. When she was finished, he put it back in his pocket and continued his narrative.

"I followed the sounds until I came across that clearing we were in just a minute ago, but I was observing them on a precipice of sorts. I overheard them talking about their plans to capture the Musketeers, with the exception of Keldeo, and apparently all they want is Cobalion's steel heart. You and Terrakion are meant to be bait to lure him out. Fortunately, I managed to stop them from capturing you, but now I'm worried for the other two." Virizion nodded her bladed head and told him

"_They won't be as easy to capture. Terrakion makes his dwelling in Victory Road. If I'm not mistaken, you might well have passed by it. Cobalion lives in Mistralton Cave, far in the back. Besides which, they are far more difficult to beat. I have no worry for them, but we should warn them of these events nonetheless."_ Alpha nodded, then called for one of his faster flyers, his Staraptor. He climbed on board and said

"We need to head to Mistralton Cave, quick." Staraptor nodded and immediately took flight. As he took off, he called down to the two still on the ground.

"Rose, keep everyone in line while I'm away! Virizion," he smirked "try to keep up." And they flew off, Virizion quickly running to follow.

**Feels like the right place to stop. So, how did I do this time? Please let me know soon!**


	26. Ch 26: An Unexpected Request

**Okay, now I'm really excited! I have been talking recently to galladefenrir44, and we have a bit of a surprise for you planned out. I don't want to say anything more than that, so just keep on reading.**

Alpha flew quickly over the cities while Virizion zoomed over the ground below him. He intended to speak with Cobalion first because he was in the most danger. He had no idea what anyone would do with a metal heart, if such a thing really existed, but he was sure he didn't want to find out.

Castelia City passed underneath them after about ten minutes of flying, and Virizion growled in his mind

"_You are making things very difficult for me, do you realize that?"_

Alpha smirked, but since he couldn't answer back, he simply watched below him as Virizion hopped up onto the buildings, ignoring the shouts and stares she was attracting. Soon they came out onto Route 4, which had changed dramatically since the last time Alpha had seen it. He remembered in his time it had been nothing but a barren desert, with the exception of some construction going on at the time.

"_I suppose they got pretty far" _Alpha mused to himself.

Soon they passed over Nimbassa city, which looked remarkably unchanged. He looked over at the famous Ferris wheel and remembered when N had confessed to being the king of Team Plasma. That had truly thrown him for a loop; he had never heard of someone being the _king _of a syndicate. Fortunately, everything had straightened itself out by the end of it, though N was crushed by the declaration of his "father".

Staraptor veered left and continued over the Driftveil Bridge, or the Charizard Bridge, as some had called it. Alpha looked over it again and scoffed. He never thought the bridge resembled a Charizard in any way, not even its color! And he should know, he hung out with one during most of trip around Kanto.

Driftveil City passed by underneath them, and here Alpha was stunned. Clay had done a lot of renovation shortly after he left, it seemed. There were now numerous buildings, most of which appeared to be hotels. Virizion growled in his mind again, obviously fed up with him, but he pressed on, not wanting to regret arriving late.

Soon after Driftveil City passed behind them, Mistralton Cave entered Alpha's view. He directed Staraptor to it and when he landed he said

"Thanks, Staraptor, you did an excellent job. Now take a good rest; our journey's not over yet." Staraptor nodded and went back inside the ball, just as Virizion came up, panting, and she stated

"_That was rude. You should have waited for me, or at least made it not so difficult for me."_ Alpha smirked and replied

"What, is the mighty Virizion going soft?" Virizion snorted and Alpha's expression became serious.

"I'm sorry, but right now we have a pressing need. I don't see any signs of Team Chaos, so we should be able to just go right in."

And without another word, Alpha stepped inside, bringing up his badge and using it like a flashlight, illuminating the cave. He and Virizion traveled back through the cave, keeping a sharp eye out for the presence of enemies. They encountered no one as they traveled, but they kept their guards raised nevertheless.

Soon they ascended a stone staircase, leading up to another floor, and Alpha waved the bade around, checking the area at large. He saw a flash of blue, but before he could check it a massive force tackled him and pushed him to the floor. He felt himself being pinned to the ground, and he wheezed out

"Master, wait!" Cobalion paused for a moment, then asked

"_Alpha? Is that you?"_

"Yes" Alpha answered, and the pressure was lifted from his chest, allowing him to breathe better. He located his badge and turned it to Cobalion, who snorted and used Flash. After the whole cave was bathed in soft light, Cobalion focused his attention on Alpha and asked

"_Why did you come here?"_ As Alpha returned the badge to his belt, he started explaining.

"We had to talk to you. A new evil team has risen up, and right now they're hunting you." Cobalion's eyes lifted in surprise, and he asked

"_Why would they be after me?"_ Alpha took a deep breath, which he needed after Cobalion's charge, and responded.

"They have this belief that you have a heart literally made out of steel. They want it to further their nefarious schemes, but I don't know what they are yet. Tell me, do you have a metal heart?" Cobalion snorted and said

"_How would I know? I have never looked at it."_ Alpha shrugged and said

"Well, whether you do or not doesn't matter I suppose. The important thing is, I managed to stop two grunts that were targeting Virizion here, and I learned about one of their weapons." He held up the dart for Cobalion to inspect, and while he did so, Alpha explained

"This is a submission dart. It's only effective while it's latched into the pokemon they're targeting, hence the barbs. It's also streamlined to give better accuracy and provide deeper penetration into the target's skin. It's coated in a strange neurotoxin that renders the victim barely able to move or breathe, making them easier to capture. They have various other weapons, including net guns and explosives. Virizion wasn't worried that you would be captured, but I deemed it prudent to alert you anyway. Once we're done here, I will alert Terrakion." Cobalion nodded and told him

"_You have done well. Thank you for rescuing Virizion and alerting me to the danger. I will go and inform Keldeo of this development. Do you know if they are targeting him as well?"_ Alpha shook his head and replied

"No, they were only after you, Virizion, and Terrakion. The idea was to use the other two as bait to lure you out. I don't think they know about Keldeo yet, but he should know about them nevertheless. Knowing him, though, you'll probably have to restrain him from attacking them." Cobalion smirked and said

"_Quite true. Very well, I will detain you no longer. Go and warn Terrakion about the danger, then be on your way. I must say" _he began as he walked to his personal entrance and exit _"you have surpassed my expectations. I am glad that Arceus chose you as his White Knight to protect the pokemon of the lands. You have done a magnificent job so far; do not disappoint me with failure."_ Alpha bowed to him and said

"I promise to make you proud, master." Cobalion nodded his head then left, and the light faded when Cobalion no longer supplied the power for it. Virizion and Alpha left the cave and Alpha brought out Staraptor again. He looked at Virizion and said

"Why don't you return to Pinwheel Forest? I can handle this, and I think I've already exposed you enough." Virizion nodded and told him

"_Be careful on your journey."_ He nodded and told Staraptor

"The Pokemon League." Staraptor took off and headed north, flying high to make the journey go even faster, but not so high that Alpha could still breathe. Soon enough, the League came into view and Staraptor landed. Alpha returned him and walked down toward Victory Road. It still looked pretty much the same, except the slides he remembered so well had been blocked off. Evidently they had been deemed dangerous. Well, no matter, he didn't need them anyway.

He walked through the entrance to Victory Road, the opposite direction most trainers traveled. He hung a left, remembering Terrakion's chamber to be that way. He found an opening of some sort that seemed to be blocked by a rock, so he called inside.

"Terrakion, are you there?" Alpha heard a massive groan and the sound of a shifting, rocky body. Then he heard Terrakion's voice say

"_Is it another lousy trainer? 'Cause if it is, you just woke me up from a good dream, and I don't take kindly to that!"_ Smirking, Alpha replied

"No, it's me, Alpha. I have come to give you an updated warning." There was a moment of silence, then Terrakion said in surprise

"_The kid?! What do you mean, 'updated warning'? What happened?"_ And so Alpha began to relay the situation to him, and while he did, Terrakion's face appeared in the space between the rock and the entrance. He listened avidly, and when Alpha finished, he said

"_Well, good job, kid! I didn't think we'd be seeing another enemy team so soon. They usually take several hundred years to form, but I guess there's a first time for everything. Keep up the good work, and let me know if anything else happens, alright?"_ Alpha smiled and nodded, then replied

"You got it. Sorry to have woken you up, though." Terrakion made a gesture that Alpha took as dismissive, but it was hard to tell when so much of the swordsman was blocked from his view.

"_Eh, it don't matter. This was way more important, anyway. So, till next time, kid?"_ Alpha smirked and replied

"You betcha!" They both chuckled and Alpha left to let him get back to sleep. After he got out, he unclipped Staraptor's ball from his belt, but before he could release him, Arceus appeared in front of him and said

"Alpha, your assistance is needed elsewhere." Alpha's hand dropped and he asked

"Where do I need to go?" Arceus laughed and told him

"It's not so much _where _you need to go as it is _when_." Alpha frowned and asked

"What do you mean?" Arceus took a deep breath and began to explain.

"I have told you that I had no other knights like you. That much is true, but there are other knights nonetheless." Alpha frowned again and asked

"How many more do you have?" Arceus thought for a bit, then said

"I will let that be a surprise for you. For now, I will be sending you back in time to another region, specifically Sinnoh. At that time, in the past, mind you, there is a war going on. It is occurring between Team Rocket and a conglomeration of trainers and pokemon. One of my other knights already resides there, so you will be able to train further, and possibly learn your ultimate attack, Judgement. While there, I wish for you to listen to the leader of this cause. He is a Gallade that goes by the name of Rick, but his true title as of right now is Warlord Aeruthael. I will be dropping you off in Pastoria City, where you are to wait for your escort. More information will be provided to you after your arrival. I will take you back to Pinwheel Forest so you may gather your pokemon to join his army. I will warn you right now," he said, staring Alpha deep in the eye.

"While you are there at my request, the space-time continuum will not be affected, as per my wishes. However, if you capture a pokemon and try to bring it with you, I will have no choice but to eliminate you. I do not wish for this to happen, but those actions will cause a paradoxical loop that can only be resolved with the destruction of the offender. Understand?"

Alpha nodded nervously and Arceus teleported them to Pinwheel Forest. Alpha summoned his pokemon and Arceus explained the situation. Then Alpha stored all of them and waited on Arceus. Before he began, Arceus looked down at him and said

"This will be far worse than teleporting, and you might find you need to rest for a while before joining Aeruthael's group in what they refer to as the Sanctuary. You should have time to do this, but do not dally, for there will be matters that require your attention in the past. Further, while you are there, you will be referred to as 'A'. The reason behind that will be made clear once you arrive. "

After Alpha nodded, Arceus surrounded himself and Alpha with a blue and pink glow. Then Alpha started to feel dizzy, and before he knew it he was on what felt like the worst roller-coaster he had ever been on, much worse than the one in Nimbassa. When it stopped, Alpha opened his very tired eyes which widened in astonishment as he saw himself in Pastoria City, exactly how he remembered it before he became a knight. He whirled around, taking in the sight, then Arceus told him

"Remember, treat Warlord Aeruthael's will as my own. He has had extensive experience fighting. I do encourage you, however, to impart your wisdom upon him, since you have lived much longer than him. He will respect your position, I'm sure, but only as long as you respect him in turn." Alpha bowed and said tiredly

"I won't fail you, My Lord." Arceus nodded and told him

"Go find a room to rest in for now. By the way, to put your mind at ease, this is around the time you were participating in the Hoenn League, so there is little chance you will meet up with your past self." Alpha nodded and walked over to the Pokemon Center to grab a room and try to recover his strength.

**Nyahahahaha! This is the surprise I spoke of! Now, galladefenrir44 and I have agreed to work on this together, since he makes a mention of Arceus' Knights, it was just too much of an opportunity for me to pass up. The updates I give out from this point on will be related to GalladeFenrir44's updates. So, keep a close eye out, and tell us both what you think of the idea! Whoo! **


	27. Ch 27: Reveling In The Moment

**Finally, it's here! Although I'm sorry to say, there won't be as much action as there will be in following chapters, but don't worry, galladefenrir44 and I have our plans pretty well made. So in the meantime, if you're still following this, send in your reviews!**

A woke up feeling quite refreshed after his night in the Pokemon Center from the past. He walked up to the window, basking in the glow of the past sun. He needed to stop doing that, referring to everything as the past items. Although…

A's mind clicked as he wondered something; how exactly would the future Arceus give A pertinent information if he couldn't interfere in the past? Or was A on his own now?

He heard a deep chuckle in his mind and his eyes widened for a moment before he heard Arceus' voice in his head.

"_Do not worry, Alpha. I exist outside of the space-time continuum; therefore, I am not limited to the present you know as the future, nor the time you know as the past, but I am always present in the now."_ A's head cocked in confusion, a headache already starting to form.

"How in the Distortion World does that even work?" Arceus chuckled again and replied

"_Don't worry about it for now; you have not the time to learn its fundamentals. The one I told you about, Warlord Aeruthael, will not be here for a while. I suggest you take this time to go over some things with your pokemon; I have no doubt there will be surprises in store for you."_

A frowned, unsure what the god was getting at, but he decided not to argue with him. He had quite a few ideas for new combo moves anyway, as well as teaching other pokemon current combo moves. Rose would be instrumental for at least one of them. He dressed and buckled his sword and badge on, making sure he had everything he needed, including the store of knowledge he had attained over the past seventy to eighty years. Of course, knowledge wasn't so easy to lose, but he made sure he had it nevertheless.

He walked out of the Pokemon Center, attracting many stares on his way, which he ignored. He came out and paused, taking a deep breath of the past air.

Dang it, he was doing it again. He shook himself and looked around, trying to find a suitable place where he could properly train the overwhelming majority of his pokemon. He wanted to let them all out at once but not attract any untoward attention. But he was in Pastoria, which while it wasn't too crowded, it was hardly the countryside. Unnerved by this, he reviewed his knowledge of the past city to think of a location that would work. Eventually he settled for going deep into the woods and hoping no one was there.

As he set out, he began to wonder about his newest dispatcher, Warlord Aeruthael. He had never heard that name before, and while Sinnoh wasn't exactly the hottest news back in his Hoenn reign, the effects of a war of the magnitude he took this to be would surely have been of monumental importance. Perhaps it had been kept on the down-low to avoid any further complications. He couldn't tell.

After about twenty minutes, he came out to a clearing that was fairly free of the swampy smell that usually pervaded the air of Pastoria, credit of the swamp that served as this region's Safari Zone. He took another deep breath, then began to release his pokemon. Once they were all out, he addressed them, asking

"Okay, I have a host of new combo moves I want to try out for this war we're participating in. Any volunteers?" Lucy stepped forward, blushing somewhat and stammering

"A-actually… uh, I can't… um… participate in this war." A regarded her with confusion, asking

"Why not? You've never refused a fight before. Why would this be any different?" She blushed harder, and Woof came to her side and answered for her.

"There are extenuating circumstances, Alpha. She can't participate in this war because she's currently expecting." A's jaw dropped, making Woof chuckle and Lucy blush ever harder. A straightened a bit uneasily and stammered

"So, Lucy… you-you're… pregnant?" She couldn't blush anymore, but she nodded her head, and A cleared his throat nervously.

"Is there… uh… anyone else who has these… extenuating circumstances?" Several more stepped, slithered or floated forward. His Altaria, who he had recently named Sonia, his Serperior Jade, Leera, an Absol, Crystal and Ruby, Spectra the Mismagius, Mia the Milotic, his Victreebel Razy, Mary the Togekiss, Bloom the Bellossom, Rika the Girafarig, Leana the Rapidash, and Kat the Delcatty. They were all blushing to some degree, some more than others. Among these were Kat, Ruby, Jade and Mia. A nervously scratched the back of his head and said

"Well… this uh, changes things." He looked over his gathered pokemon and came to a decision.

"Okay then, all expecting and Leya are excused from this session. However, I do not want to see anymore… extenuating circumstances… until we get home. Those who are expecting will stay behind in this Sanctuary and protect it if need be. As for the rest of you, line up!" The pregnant females moved behind A, along with Leya and Casey, while the rest got into a regular formation. A paced in front of them and shouted out

"Rose, join me up here!" In a flash of white light, Rose appeared in front of him. A didn't flinch, having long been accustomed to her surprises. He stopped his pacing and faced his pokemon, calling out

"Those of you who can use both Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse, front and center!" A Sableye, Weavile, Honchkrow, Gengar, Drapion, Toxicroak, Spiritomb, Dusknoir, Rotom, Bannette and Shiftry all stepped to the front lines. A continued

"The move I plan to have Rose teach you is one with dangerous capabilities, which makes it perfect for this war. Since you all have extensive training by me, you have capabilities that many pokemon can't claim. As a result, you will all be able to do this after you get the hang of it, and do it well. Rose, show 'em."

Rose pulled off the Shadow Pulse in one go, aiming it at an old tree, which split with a loud retort. Everyone seemed in awe at the power she displayed, and the pokemon to learn this move were excited. A nodded at Rose and said

"Better get started. Blaze, I want to see you over here! Everyone else, talk amongst yourselves until I call you!" A moved off to the side and waited for his Blaziken to arrive. When he did, tall and strong as ever, they nodded to each other and Alpha told him

"Okay, I have two ideas for you to try out. The first I have called Flame Uppercut. Combine your Fire Punch with Sky Uppercut; you might be able to deal more damage to flying foes. The other is one I have dubbed Focus Thrower. Simply put some Flamethrower into a charging Focus Blast and see what happens. Go ahead and practice with those." Blaze nodded and began to cloak his right hand in fire while it glowed white. A turned to address some of his other pokemon waiting.

"Wing Attackers, over here!" A multitude of his bird pokemon flew over to him, and he addressed the Shadow Pulse learners.

"Hey Rose, you got any masters over there yet?" Rose nodded and replied

"Yeah, Sean got the hang of it easily, given that both types play perfectly for him. You want him?" A nodded and Rose turned back to her students, calling for Sean the Sableye. The small sharp pokemon ran/wobbled over to him, and Alpha had him stand by his side. He addressed the flyers again.

"Okay, the next idea I have concerns your move Wing Attack. I want to try combining it with Shadow Ball, creating Shadow Wing. Sean, I want you to spread your Shadow Balls, two in each hand, over their wings once they have their attack charged. Understand?"

Sean nodded and grinned in his wide, creepy smile, then stalked over to them. As a ghost, he felt obligated to make things as creepy as possible. Failing that, he would try to scare the living daylights out of any victim nearby, including his teammates. Most of the time, however, he was beaten back. It was funny at times, but it wouldn't really have its place here.

"Sean, no antics today, please. We're on a tight schedule."

Sean seemed disappointed but nodded at him, then continued walking normally. He jumped on the back of Rick, his Pidgeot, and waited for him to charge his attack. Rick's wings began glowing white and he spread them wide. Sean then crossed his arms. Two dual Shadow Balls grew within his hands and he threw them to the side, smearing the dark lump over Rick's wings. It looked like the ball was made of dark water, not energy, as it flowed over the individual feathers. A was interested by the phenomena, but he let it slide as Rick took off after Sean jumped off his back and flew at another tree to test the attack. When it connected, a burst of dark purple could be seen and it left a sizable gouge in the tree. A nodded approvingly and watched as each of the flyers performed the same moves, altogether taking out several trees. A began to wonder if they would take down the forest before Warlord Aeruthael came for him, or whoever he sent to retrieve him.

A had wondered about this guy, or Gallade, his Lord told him, and just what kind of pokemon he really was. Arceus said he had extensive experience fighting, and while Alpha wasn't quite the physical battler himself (though that was quickly changing) he had just as much experience in battles as the next child hero. Oh, wait…

Yeah, there weren't really many of those. A crossed his arms and frowned as he contemplated the fact that many people had been curious about Team Rocket, the majority had been terrified of Cipher, most were astonished by Aqua and Magma, worried about Galactic, and mocking of Plasma, yet they did nothing. In all of those cases, he had been working mostly alone, except when he chose a partner to join his crew, or if he made a rival/friend of some sort. He missed Cheren's company. Admittedly, he wasn't ideal at a party, but he was very valuable in the lines of information. Bianca was a different kind, as well. She acted too much like Barry had; always running around not paying much attention to whatever happened to be in her way. But she was a kind, loving person nevertheless.

Then there was Blue. Good old Blue, it only felt like yesterday that he had been saying "Smell ya later!". A chuckled as he remembered that line, not appreciating it much in his youth but not saying anything. Out of caution, he had never been a talker lest someone recognize him and he would no longer get a moment's peace. But it hadn't really mattered since he created a legendary name for himself as Red. Then he did the same as Brendan, Lucas, and Black. Actually, he remembered the last call he received on the XTransceiver as Black, from Cheren and Bianca. He was leaving Unova to search for N, and they wished him luck on his journey. They also told him to come back to visit, and while he had returned, he didn't want to interfere in their lives again. He had never managed to find N, but he had hoped he was doing fine with Zekrom, the Dragon of Ideals. He had enlisted Reshiram's help but promptly released her after Plasma had been put down. A sighed and called out

"Curtis and Ryan, up here!" His Heracross and Nidoking came up to him, discussing something beyond him, and when they arrived, A told them

"Okay, I have a few ideas for you guys to use your horns with." They looked surprised but excited, and A continued.

"Okay, I know you can each use Fire, Ice, and Thunder Punch. I want you to divert that power to your horns. This method should work especially well for you, Curtis." The Heracross nodded and charged up a Fire Punch, then lifted it to his horn. It caught and he stood there with a horn of flame, slightly surprised at it.

"Okay, that's Fire Horn, but you're supposed to use Horn Attack for maximum efficiency. Of course, it won't compare with the second stage." Zack and Curtis stared at each other, then back at A. He directed Cyrtis

"Use Megahorn, then light it up." Curtis nodded and charged his Megahorn, then used Fire Punch on it.

"Congratulations, you just used Mega Fire Horn. It should be the same process with Ice Punch and ThunderPunch. Zack, you should be able to do the same, so have fun." They nodded and A left to address some other ideas.

"Okay, Water Pulse and Focus Blast users, over here!" Once they were assembled, he said

"Okay, combine Water Pulse with Focus Blast to make a Water Ball, and if you have it, use a Shadow Ball with it to get a Water Ball Blast. Blizzardians, this way! Bring some fighters with you!" Once the above had arrived, he told them

"Okay, what I want to see here is the move Blizzard, and while it's in effect, the fighters use Close Combat. This will be called Blizzard Striker."

Over the course of the next several hours, he and his pokemon worked hard to utilize a multitude of moves, including Ice/Fire/Thunder Wing, which combined Wing Attack with Ice/Fire/Thunder moves, as well as utilizing the three elemental punches with Focus Punch. Shadow Ball became of more use in moves such as Shadow Beam, which was Shadow Ball and Signal Beam, and A even modified his earlier Shadow Freeze/Shock and Burn, combining it with Dark Pulse to achieve the similar, if somewhat darker, results.

After the hours had passed, A received another message from Arceus.

"_Alpha, the time has come for you to meet with Warlord Aeruthael. Currently he is working on something in Pastoria. I do not want you to interfere; let him come to you."_

"_Where must I go, my Lord?"_

"_There is a warehouse on the other end of the city. He is finishing some business in there. Again, I don't want you to go in there. He's almost finished, anyway, but it might still be a short while before you meet."_

"_I understand, Lord Arceus."_

"_Very well, then. Good luck, Alpha. Remember, for the duration you are here, your name is A."_

A nodded and began to recall his pokemon, knowing there wasn't anything he could do for the damaged trees. He walked back to Pastoria and searched for the warehouse. He soon found it and made a rock rise out of the ground with his sword so he could sit. He kept his sword drawn and admired it yet again. No matter how often he wielded it, it still filled him with awe, and elation, considering he was the first knight Arceus had enlisted that could utilize its power. He would have to make sure that no one tried to use it, though, or else he might end up killing the Warlord!

About ten minutes after he sat, he heard the door open and he looked at a sight above all others thus far. He saw three Gallade, two Gardevoir, and a Blaziken. One of the Gallade appeared normal, while the other had somewhat overlong hair and a somewhat dispassionate air. The last one was colored oddly, a dark green. One Gardevoir was shiny, the other was normal. Something seemed off about the Blaziken though. A couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt the Blaziken might be worth keeping a sharp eye on.

He stood and sheathed his blessed blade and the long-haired Gallade approached him. The Gallade asked

"Are you A?" A nodded and replied

"I am. Are you Aeruthael?"

"Yes I am. I hear you came to help me." A nodded again and told him

"Yes, I was given orders from Arceus to help you...if you would have me on your team, that is."

"I will accept you on my team. It surprises me how you can understand me, but I'm not about to ask questions when Arceus gives me an order." A smirked and responded

"Preaching to the choir on that one." Aeruthael stuck out his hand and said

"Welcome to the team." A took his hand and shook it.

"Glad to be a part of it." When Aeruthael broke the gesture, he mused

"Now to head back home and figure out where to put you guys." The normal Gallade chuckled and said

"I may have something you might find interesting. Call it a parting gift since my time is running out."

"Oh? What is it?" A was a bit confused at this point, but he decided not to get into it right now, simply following his new liege and whatever orders he might have.

**Okay, I think this chapter was successful. What do you guys think of my combo moves? I wish I could stick these in the pokemon games; it would certainly make them more interesting, that's for sure. Anyway, review and let me know what you think!**


	28. Ch 28: A Violation In My Eyes

**Okay, everybody, we're back in action with this next chapter, despite the fact there won't really be much action… hmm. Well, there will be some sort of conflict, at any rate, but only on Alpha's (A's) part. So, sit back and relax, and review me when you're done!**

A was directed to a car that Aeruthael claimed he drove. A was a bit skeptical about pokemon having the ability to drive, but he didn't argue with him. The normal Gardevoir joined him for reasons A was unsure of, but didn't question. Not five minutes on the road, Aeruthael turned his attention slightly to him and said

"So A, tell me a bit about yourself." A didn't hesitate to reply

"What do you want to know?"

"Just tell me who you are, per se. Anything, really." A thought for a second, then told him

"Well I spent my entire life traveling the world with my Pokemon. I fought many battles in my life, but I have very few regrets." Then Aeruthael questioned

"You fought with that sword?" A backtracked a bit and replied

"Well, I haven't owned this sword for too long. I've used it in fights, though."

"What do you use it for?" he asked. A said somewhat proudly

"For the protection of pokemon, for that's what I was tasked." Aeruthael responded

"That's a good thing to fight for. For a human, anyways." That last comment was slightly irking, but A held it back and asked

"Can I ask what you fight for?"

"I fight for home, family, and freedom." A frowned a little and said

"Freedom? I see you as very liberated."

"Don't get me wrong, we just don't answer to any human. I fight to take down Team Rocket and their associate, so that they don't threaten the lives of pokemon everywhere." A chuckled and said

"Somewhat like me." For a moment, there was silence, then Aeruthael said

"I have to ask, is A really your name?" A shook his head slightly and replied

"No. My name just changed when I started to work for Arceus." Aeruthael's eyebrow lifted at this, but he said

"Well I'm happy I didn't get my name changed by him." A laughed inwardly as he thought of all the aliases he had gone under to avoid detection by any previous enemies or associates. Then something came to his mind and he asked

"Speaking of which, what do you want me to call you?" Aeruthael shrugged and told A

"You can call me anything you want. My friends call me Rick and my family...and my entire city calls me Aeruthael, including Arceus. Aeruthael is my birth name." A contemplated this for a second, but the Gardevoir shifted her position and A remembered his manners.

"Oh, sorry miss, I never got your name. Arceus didn't tell me." Alara smiled back at him and replied

"My name is Alara Saifer, soon to be Fenrir." A's eyes widened and he said

"Ooooh, so you're engaged. To whom… and I feel like I just asked a stupid question." A was mentally smacking himself repeatedly as he put two and two together and Alara responded

"Not at all. I'm engaged to Rick here." A thought for a second, a bit thrown off at the suggestion.

"Oh so his last name is Fenrir. Interesting, and kinda fitting for a leader and warrior. How long have you two been engaged? Also, didn't know that pokemon could get engaged." Alara began to explain.

"Well, in the pokemon civilizations they can. Mainly the pokemon that have been influenced by humans go through it. Don't worry, the Sanctuary is so similar to a human city that you should have no trouble settling. Also, to answer your question, me and Rick have been engaged for three days now." A responded

"Well that's very recent. Congratulations! I wish you guys the best. I'm sure I'll fit in, but I'm kinda used to living in the wild. I did travel for most of my life. When is the wedding by any chance?"

"May 14th."

"Well let's hit that milestone" A joked with them. Everyone in the car laughed. Rick then said

"So how long are you going to be here?" A answered

"Until the war is over."

"Perfect! Better for us; and I should go prepare your accommodations."

"You have a place for me?" A asked, surprised. He thought he was going to have to find a cave or something similar.

"Oh please, two new dens were created in the Sanctuary. We have more than enough room for you...and your pokemon."

"How did you figure out about my pokemon?" A asked, suspicious now. Rick hesitated slightly before saying

"You said that you were traveling the world with your pokemon and...I read your mind."

"Why?" Rick sighed a little and responded

"I had to make sure this was legitimate, and you check out." A bit annoyed but knowing he was justified, A said

"Well okay, happy that you can trust me now. Anyways, yes I do have my pokemon. Is that okay?"

"Of course! You should see my team there. We are all different walks of life and every pokemon is accepted into the Sanctuary. Even humans, but with either the Chief's permission, my permission, or the Council's permission. You can also come in with an invitation. Don't worry, you're free to be there with my blessing. You'll be the only human there taking part in any residence, short term or long term." A laughed silently

"Yay for uniqueness. So what kind of people are the Chief and the Council?" Alara answered

"The Chief is my father. He's a huge teddy bear when you get to know him. There's no malicious bone in his body and he's very carefree." She then sighed and continued

"The Council is the third in command in the Sanctuary. They are a group of twenty Gallades and Gardevoirs, my grandfather being the head of the Council. Most of them are decent individuals that saw me group up...then there's Zenek." Sensing a bit of annoyance mixed with hostility, A inquired

"Zenek?"

"Councilor Zenek, he's the councilor for the eighth den. Also known as the wealthiest of all the dens. It's filled with nobles, tycoons, and other rich folk. They may be wealthy, but the first den houses the most important people and is the most well protected. Anyways, Zenek is pretty stuck up and mean spirited. He tried to have Rick punished for saving me. He says that he's doing what is the best for the people, but he's really doing everything for himself. Thankfully my grandfather shuts him up quickly and he has no power over Rick. He always tried to get rid of officials with more power than he does." A thought for a second, then thought out loud.

"Why not just kick him out of the Council?"

"Just because he's an ass doesn't mean that he doesn't know how to do his job. We want to get rid of him, but it won't be in our best interest. So we put up with him until his time is up."

"How long does a councilor stay in office?"

"Twenty years until we can get rid of them no questions asked. Most however have been there for more than twenty years."

"How long has he been a councilor?"

"Eleven. Nine more to go."

"What happens if you get rid of him now?"

"We have to compensate him for his remaining time, unless he does something illegal."

"You seem to know the law really well" A observed.

"I was trained and raised to be the next Chief."

"Oh? You're an only-child?"

"Yes and no." A raised an eyebrow and asked

"How?"

"I have a sister, but I'm the only child my parents birthed." A's face dawned with understanding and he asked

"So I'm guessing that your sister is adopted?"

"Yes, she's a Lopunny name Amber. You'll meet her when we get there." Rick interrupted their conversation by asking A

"Is there something you need to tell me?" Now wholly suspicious, A asked nervously

"Umm... why do you ask?"

"I can feel that there is information that you want me to be aware of."

"Yes, I carry pokemon with me. Is that going to be a problem?" Alara answered

"Yes and no. I don't think Rick knows our feelings towards these things since he hasn't personally experienced this, but we accept humans with pokemon. However, our people are pretty apprehensive about humans. This is primarily because some humans have tried to capture some of us before, me included." Rick passed a quick glance at her.

"Yeah sorry, I didn't tell you. I was about eight years old, but that's not important. You'll be fine, just don't bring out an empty pokeball at all, not even as a joke." A nodded and said

"Okay, understood." Fifteen minutes later they arrived at massive gates which A took to be the entrance to the Sanctuary. It was quite a surprise for him since he had been expecting something more along the lines of a natural habitat of some sort. Rick sat there for a moment until the silence was broken by a ringing that came from Rick's wrist, and A recognized it as a Poketch.

"Hello, Warlord Aeruthael!" Rick replied

"Hello, Luan! I'm happy to see that you guys aren't at the gate. You took my advice."

"Yeah, we figured that you were right, because standing outside of the gates to a secret civilization is kinda like saying 'Hey we're right here!'."

"Alright, can we go in?"

"Sure! One second...hmmm."

"What's up?"

"Our sensors are picking up a human presence in the car with you."

"Oh yeah! We DO have a human with us. He has my permission to come with us, and quickly let the Chief know that we're going to the Chief's Court immediately."

"Alright...well everything is clear. Standby! Opening the gates." The gates to the Sanctuary opened up and soldiers quickly escorted the cars inside. Once all the vehicles entered the doors closed and the gate was hidden. Soon after clearing the entrance they all drove to the Chief's Court, with many eyes on them as they drove over there. A tried to hide himself from the view of all the pokemon, wishing to avoid suspicion. Rick looked back and told him

"Don't worry, they won't do anything to you." A replied

"That's not what I'm afraid of; I don't want to scare them while I'm here."

"I understand how you feel. However, if I say that it's okay for you to be here they will be alright with your presence around them." A smiled and asked

"They trust you that much?"

"Yeah. I keep them safe and in return they give me their trust and respect."

"It must be good being the Warlord."

"It has its moments, but it's mainly work and training. However, I wouldn't want it any other way." A suddenly became curious.

"Can you explain to me what the Warlord is?" Rick chuckled and responded

"I'll tell you what I know so far, though Alara might tell you more than me. The Warlord is the supreme commander of the Sanctuary's army and guards. The Warlord oversees that all the Sanctuary's defenses are at the highest possible level, and their warriors in the same caliber. The Warlord is probably the biggest public servant, other than the Chief. They have to keep the peace inside and outside the community. Mainly by making arrests, resolving issues, and providing for the people. The Warlord is what you humans might like to call a mix of the Chief of Police and the Commander-In-Chief of the Army." This sounded very similar to a position A was familiar with, so he asked

"So like a President?"

"No, Warlords are not elected officials, unless there's no successor. Warlords do not make or participate in the making of laws; rather, they enforce them. The Chief and the Council make the laws, the Warlord makes the laws happen. However, the Warlord can stop laws that the Council makes, but cannot veto the Chief's laws."

"Oh, so the power tree goes first to the Chief, then the Warlord, and _then_ the Council."

"Correct! I haven't had to veto any laws yet, and I don't expect to as long as Alara's grandfather is the Head of the Council." A wondered if he was getting annoying, so he said

"May I have one more question?"

"Go ahead."

"How do you become the Warlord?"

"A good question. I'll let Alara answer this one." Alara nodded and answered A's question.

"The Warlord is brought into power either by, as was stated, being voted in by the Council, but only if there is no Warlord and there are multiple successors. The other way is most common, you inherit the position after a Warlord steps down from office. It's actually debatable if Rick became the Warlord this way. The last way is by defeating the current Warlord in battle with the Chief, the Army, or the Council present. It's also debatable if Rick became the Warlord because of this way." A was now confused.

"How did he become Warlord if it was debatable?"

"Because while there's no question that he deserved it, it's debatable because it's not clear which method was utilized. The last Warlord was his uncle Daedalus. He defeated Daedalus in battle, in front of my father and the Council, but he didn't take the job. The he was told by Arceus to take the job and Daedalus stepped down, so Rick inherited the job. So I guess his reign falls under the inheritance line."

"Do you have to be related to inherit the title?"

"No, the Warlord chooses who gets the job after them. It doesn't have to be a relative."

"Well, that's interesting."

"Yep, the Warlord become immortalized in the Hall of Illia. Which is found at the Illia Memorial."

"Illia?"

"The first Warlord of the Sanctuary. She was also the queen in her time. She's our most celebrated individual in our history. We call her the Mother of the Sanctuary because she founded the Sanctuary."

"Makes sense." Rick was listening to them talk and then asked Alara

"What's the Hall of Illia?" Alara answered

"The Hall of Illia is the large building behind Illia's obelisk. That's where the Warlord gets inaugurated."

"Hmmm...wait...what? I have to get inaugurated? I'm already the Warlord."

"Crap! I forgot to tell you. Yes, you are the Warlord without a doubt. However, your name does not go into the Hall of Illia until you're inaugurated and take Illia's Oath."

"Oath? No one told me anything about an oath, inauguration, or the fact that I have to go through another ceremony. So tell me, when is this ceremony?" Alara sweatdropped and laughed nervously, replying

"Umm...Tomorrow." There was a short silence in the car and then Rick said emotionlessly

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm just wondering why I wasn't made aware of this earlier."

"I forgot and I thought that you would have found out by yourself."

"Well I didn't see anything that could tell me it was going to happen." Alara looked outside and said to Rick

"Look at towards the Illia's Obelisk." Rick looked and saw a large number of people decorating the steps of the memorial. He then said

"Hmmmm...that's impressive, and how did I miss that? Anyways, what is it that I have to do?"

"Well you have to go to the memorial, escorted by the army. Once you are there you wait until my dad finishes speaking, and then you walk up to where my dad and my grandfather are and my grandfather will oath you in. Then you give a speech to the masses. Finally your name is immortalized in the Hall of Illia."

"So now I have to give a speech?"

"Picture it as a president's inauguration."

"Alright." Then it seemed that Rick had some sort of small revelation and he addressed A again.

"Oh yeah I forgot about you for a minute there A. You've been really quiet." A chuckled and replied

"Oh, I've just been trying to process everything." He looked outside and saw a massive and important-looking building.

"Wow! What building is that?" he asked, amazed to find something like this in a civilization of pokemon.

"That would be the Chief's Court. Where the Chief, queen, and the Council conduct their business."

"Oh! So I'm meeting the Chief?"

"Yes, don't worry he's a really great guy. As Alara stated, he's a big teddy bear at heart."

Rick parked the car near the building. As A got out, he began trying to fix his hair. Why his mother ever let him style it like this was beyond him, but it worked. Nevertheless, he knew appearance was everything in diplomatic cases, and given that he was a human among a vast grouping of pokemon, he would easily stick out like a sore thumb. Alara noticed and laughed.

"Oh you don't have to make yourself too presentable now. If I know my dad he probably smells like Slim Jims and Mountain Dew from going through a video game bender." A was slightly confused by this statement, believing a chief should be a bit more prideful of their position. However, he said absolutely nothing about it, also trying to keep his thoughts clear of his opinion, which he was sure the two Ralts evolutions could pick up on. Rick and those that traveled with him walked up to the doors to the Chief's Court, where the guards looked at each other and then back at the group. One of the guards then asked Rick

"Um..sir...you do realize that there's a human behind you?" A discreetly rolled his eyes, thinking

"_Yeah, and I have had many people gawking at me because I had one of your kind out. Surprise, surprise."_ Rick nodded and told them

"Of course! He's here on my invitation. I recruited him. Treat him with respect, men." Both guards looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

"Alright, it's your call." They then opened the doors to let the group in. The team walked inside the Chief's Court and saw Alara's parents on their thrones and Rick's mom on a throne next to Keera. Alara's dad saw the group walk in and smiled at the team. He spoke first to Rick and his daughter.

"I'm glad to see you guys again!" He saw the new faces behind Rick and Alara.

"Oh, looks like you guys brought in some new faces." The dark green Gallade bowed to him, the shiny Gardevoir curtsied, and A bowed along with the Gallade. The Chief regarded him for a second, then said

"Oh looks like you brought a human here." He then spoke to A.

"May I ask who you are? If you can understand what I'm saying." A replied

"I can understand what you are saying. I received that gift. My name is A. I was sent by Arceus to help the Warlord here in his cause."

"Hmmm, interesting. You may rise if you want." A got up and faced the Chief.

"So, you look like an able fighter. You're welcome to stay here if you want with my blessing." A smiled and gave a smaller bow, saying

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Tell me, do you have any pokemon in your possession that we must be made aware of?"

"Yes sir, I have a large number of pokemon."

"Well, we will have to find lodging for all of them." Rick then said

"Sir, is there land for sale in the 22nd den?"

"Yes, no part of that den has been claimed yet. Why?"

"I'll like to buy a large piece of that land for A and his pokemon so they can have some sort of residence there."

"Hmmmm...very generous of you Aeruthael. Very well, go talk to my attendant later."

"I'd like to have a tour first before I buy anything. In fact..." Rick looked at a Gallade in their group and said to him

"Lang, go with the Chief's steward to the 22nd den and tour it for me. Make sure to send me pictures." Lang nodded and replied

"Yes sir!"

"Lang, we're family."

"Oh ok. Yes...cousin Aeru!" With that he left with the Chief's steward. A then looked at Rick and asked askance

"Do you really need to get me property?"

Rick chuckled and turned to look at him and respond

"Of course! You'll be staying with us for a while and your pokemon will need their own lodging as well. Mainly because I expect ALL your pokemon to be outside their pokeballs for the time that you are here. I don't want you to pull out any pokeballs and spook my people. Are we understood?"

"Yes sir. I do have one thing to say, though."

"What's on your mind?"

"You see, I'm going to need medical attention to some of my pokemon." Rick became concerned, as well as the Chief, and he asked

"Is there something wrong with some of your pokemon? Are they sick?" A shook his head and quickly replied

"No, nothing like that." Now confused, Rick asked A

"Then what seems to be the problem? Do some of them have special needs?"

"You could say that. The truth of the matter is that some of my pokemon are expecting mothers. I want them to be taken care of."

"Ooooooohh! I see." He turned to Alara's parents and asked them

"Do we have anything like that in that den?" Alara's mom stood up and walked over to the group, telling them

"As a matter of fact there is. A hospital was built there and we can hire doctors to work there immediately upon your arrival." A immediately knelt down to her and thanked her

"Thank you so much your majesty!" A was truly happy for this; he knew that under regular circumstances his expecting pokemon would more than likely be able to handle it, but with the assistance of professional doctors, there would be no trouble. Alara's mom appeared flattered and gave him her hand, which he kissed and stood up.

"Well at least someone knows how to be formal. Unlike some people." She immediately looked at Xeron, who didn't hesitate to stick out his middle finger at her. A was a bit appalled at this behavior and almost said something, but abstained, reasoning that perhaps insanity ran through him and sometimes dictated his actions. Everyone laughed for a moment, then Rick said

"Oh yeah! Hi, Mom!" The remaining Gardevoir on the throne smiled and shook her head.

"Oh so I'm not invisible. I've been so far ignored by you, my husband, and my future daughter-in-law."

"Sorry, mom." She directed her gaze at Xeron and told him

"Well some husband you are. You ignored me this morning to play video games and then you go on a trip with Aeru and recruit people." A looked at Xeron and then at Aldira and said

"Ooooh, you're Aeruthael's parents?"

"Yes! Now Xeron, what goes through your mind when you ignore me?" Xeron thought for a second, then responded

"That I'm going to regret it in the future. But give me a break, it was a Halo match." A vein appeared on Aldira's head.

"Oh it was a Halo match?" She suddenly teleported the Halo game disk to her hand.

"So this is ONLY a Halo disk." Xeron immediately got concerned.

"Oh no! Do not be that girl right now!" She then said coldly

"Oh I'm going to be that girl right now." She immediately snapped the disk in half and threw it at Xeron.

"YOU ARE EVIL!" Aldira smiled slyly and said

"Ignore me next time and the disk won't be the only broken thing." A watched throughout this whole ordeal, his sweatdrop progressively getting bigger. Everyone laughed again and Rick's team suddenly entered the Chief's Court, shocking A by the variety of pokemon. A asked Rick

"Who are they?" Rick replied

"That's my 'family', my team." Rick quickly walked up to the others.

"Hey guys! We have new members." The Sceptile of their group spoke.

"Oh we know. Alara sent us all the details not too long ago."

"Oh, that's good. Less need to explain."

"Indeed." An Umbreon stepped up and got Rick's attention.

"I got a message from Ashlyn." Rick raised an eyebrow and asked

"Oh? What did she say?"

As they talked, A felt a dull ache gradually grow in his heart. Of all the times he had to come across an Umbreon, why did it have to be now? It had barely been three weeks since A had dropped Umbra off at Relic Forest, next to the Relic Stone. The scene of that departure began to bring tears back into his eyes, but before they could properly form, A rubbed them out of his eyes. The movement caught the attention of an Alakazam who said

"Umm Rick? You do realize that there is a human here?" A rolled his eyes, getting a bit tired of the whole 'Oh, look, a human!' business. He certainly didn't go around saying 'Hey look, a pokemon!'

"Of course! He's one of our recruits. Courtesy of Arceus. He's no average human, in the fact that he understands our speech and he was personally referred to me. I'm not going to challenge the order from Arceus. You guys should get to know him." Rick looked at the team and seemed to consider something.

"Where's Amber, Amari, and Serenity?" The doors immediately flew open and a Lopunny and a Scizor appeared at the doorway. The Lopunny said

"What's up everyone and the unexplainable human visitor, but I'm not going to argue it. Anyways, me and Amari were bored earlier today and Serenity was in the room with us. We started toying with our human forms and we ended up giving Serenity a makeover." A rolled his eyes again; it wasn't much, but it was a slight improvement from all the suspicion he was receiving so far. Then he heard what she said in his mind again and something struck him.

"You guys have human forms?" Everyone ignored him and went back to listening to Amber. A small vein pricked up on his forehead, but he didn't say anything else.

"So without further ado, the new Serenity!" Nothing happened and "Serenity" didn't appear. Amber quickly spoke to her

"Come on! Show the guys your new look." What sounded like a teenage voice called out

"No! I'm too shy to do this." Amber sighed and walked out of sight. Suddenly, sounds of pain, most likely of someone being pulled by the ear rang out. Amber then reappeared pulling on Serenity's ear. She let go so everyone could see Serenity, who stood there blushing. Her new human appearance, to A, was strange. She was wearing a white jacket, and a black tank top. She had a white skirt skirt and had matching shorts with black leggings underneath. Her hair was mostly white but layered with black. On a bang that came out over her face, she adorned a red ribbon. There was something distinctive about her appearance, but A couldn't figure out what. Rick laughed and said

"Love the new look Serenity." Serenity then responded

"These two tackled me and did this to me by force. I didn't know they changed my look until they let me go." A Raichu laughed and said

"Well I guess it was worth it. Right Sage?" Then the conversation became a bit more hushed, and while A had a bit of trouble understanding them, even though he was fairly close to them, he learned this was a conversation best saved for somewhere… a little less public.

Then there was a bit of awkwardness where Serenity and the one called Sage were forced to speak to each other, although apparently they had already done so that morning. There had to be something in the air, A thought, which was seriously making them lose track of the situation at hand, namely the war. Wasn't Team Rocket of paramount importance? Certainly they had been a fairly large threat the first time around, when he was Red, but from what he had gathered, they were even more powerful this time. Evidently, Giovanni had thought ahead, or wanted to make sure Red was long gone so he wouldn't make an appearance again. But still, why, in the midst of this threat, did the Warlord cavort around as if he hadn't a care in the world?

Said Warlord grabbed his attention when he said

"A! Come with us!" A snapped back into reality.

"Oh, yeah! Right behind you!" A followed the group outside, now a bit unsure what his intentions might be. After a good walk, A found himself, still at the back of the group by choice, at what seemed to be Rick's house. A was surprised by the sheer size of Rick's house and how an armory was able to fit in it. He had never been aware that something like this could have existed, and he didn't even want to think what all went into keeping it in running condition. They entered what A believed to be the main armory and Rick faced his father, asking

"Something you forgot to tell me?" Xeron replied

"Nope! Something I was waiting to show you. Let me ask you a question: What is my profession?" Rick frowned and replied

"The former Warlord of course."

"No! That's my inherited profession. What do you think was my original profession?"

"Umm...soldier?" Xeron chuckled and said

"Yes and no. The answer is combat engineer."

"Engineer. That was unexpected. Why are you telling me this?" Xeron looked at the dead end of the armory and pushed a tile in, revealing a green force field.

"Because I left some toys that I made sure Saifer never told you about."

"Dad what is that green force field?"

"A teleportation field."

"Teleportation?"

"Yeah one of my greatest engineering marvels. You can move from one place to another at a moment's notice without the use of energy. But this is minor compared to the gifts I left you on the other side. Step through." Xeron stepped through the teleporter, followed by Aldira and Alara's parents. Rick turned to his team and said

"Let's get this over with!" He and the group the stepped through the field. A was the last one to go through, and he did so with some trepidation. He didn't experience the same discomfort he usually did when teleporting, and certainly not when Arceus had delivered him here. Once they arrived at the other end they saw they were in a new room. It was very large, circular, and had five floors of different rooms for housing. There was an octagonal table that looked as if it was meant for meetings. In the middle of the table was hologram projector that projected a 3D map of the regions. At each seat was a computer that controlled the projector.

Everyone was surprised by the sight and Rick asked his father

"Dad, what is this place?"

"This is the War Room. Here you will bring your team, brief them, or just hang out. It is one of my greatest creations and I was hoping to one day use it...but I guess it's yours now."

"This beyond anything I ever thought of you creating."

"Well it was still under construction when I was the Warlord and Saifer told me that it was finished a few years ago, because he modified it. I saw it and loved the modifications he made. I was also happy to know that he kept his promise of keeping it a secret from you until the time was right." Rick looked at the five floors of rooms and asked

"What are these rooms for?"

"Those are the crew's quarters. Saifer got his hands on the recruits' dossier from Alara and he made some of the rooms pertaining to the personalities of each recruit that you have to go get."

"How did he do that?"

"He's had a few months." Alara then mused

"I had absolutely no idea of that."

"Your dad is more cunning than you know Alara. Anyways, everyone has their own room here. There's a lounge on the third floor, with a mess hall, and a game room. The top floor only has one room, the Captain's Quarters or Warlord Quarters. That's your and Alara's room here. Look at the table here. This table is for mission briefing and for conferences. The hologram projector can make a digital image of anything on the map and you can contact people through it, and it will make a 3D render of the person, making it seem like they are there with you guys." Rick became curious.

"Why do we need rooms? This place isn't going anywhere."

"Here's the next surprise. Follow me out of here." Xeron walked into another teleporter and the others followed. Once they arrived at the new area, they noticed they were on a platform. They looked around and saw that they were in a hangar. However the biggest sight there was a gigantic aircraft in the center of the hanger. There were different kind of pokemon working on the aircraft and A just wondered where this hangar was located. Xeron walked forward and said

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you the S.A Mercury. This behemoth of a floating fortress is the largest and greatest piece of combat engineering ever developed by the combine forces of many pokemon civilizations. Currently there are 500 members of the crew, mainly consisting of: Navigators, Engineers, Medical Personnel, Soldiers, Artillery Gunners, and the Chief Pilot, Gunners, Intel, and various other needed individuals. This aircraft can house up to on average 1,000 people, more or less." As the conversation continued, a panicked look came over A's eyes, but no one noticed.

"_No, no, no, no, NO!" _A shouted in his mind. He listened over some of the details of the craft, and with each passing sentence his horror grew.

"_Oh, this can't be happening. What is wrong with them?! Are they trying to destroy the whole damn planet?! How could Arceus let something like this pass?! I'm supposed to be the _protector _of pokemon, not an obliterator! And they're practically packing nukes on this cursed thing! If they were to unleash that kind of power, I don't think that meteor from Mew's story would compare to this!"_

These and darker thoughts ran through A's mind as the tour continued, and he was horrified further to learn that the control of one of the ship's most powerful weapons was under the sole jurisdiction of one person; the pilot, who was sure to be a regular bulls-eye. It didn't help that the target, a Gallade by coincidence, was red in color.

They went through another teleporter and Rick held a meeting of sorts with a man A recognized as Mr. Silph. A tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible. There was next to no chance that Silph would recognize him, but there was no reason to become complacent while he could be. What horrified A beyond all he had seen thus far was Silph's apparent vendetta against the Rockets. Okay, they had infiltrated Silph Co. and held him hostage in an attempt to swipe the Master Ball, but was it really necessary to kill?! Rick then got a message on his Poketch. He checked it for a minute and said to A

"Looks like your new home is ready for you to move into." Rick snapped his finger and two soldiers appeared.

"Take A here to the 22nd den so he can get settled into his new accommodations...all of them." Rick looked at A again

"Don't worry, all the furniture is all set in each house for you and your pokemon. Go enjoy yourself, but remember what I told you." A thought for a second, then nodded and replied

"Of course! Do not take out pokeballs of any kind."

"Also, don't try to capture any of my people. Otherwise, we'll have a problem."

"Wouldn't dream of it. And I can't; Arceus told me not to."

"Good. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yes. Goodbye!" A was escorted away by the soldiers, and as he was, he thought back on everything he had seen. It was nothing less of a horror film to him, and he had seen plenty of horror within his lifetime. After a major amount of walking, and even an elevator ride, the soldiers led him out to a wide clearing that appeared to be large enough for a city, though at the moment it was unoccupied.

"Enjoy your stay" one of the soldiers said to him, moving back to the elevator. A gave him a nod of acknowledgement, then stared back out before him. It really looked a lot like a city, or more accurately, a large housing enclosure. Which it really was, when A considered this. He couldn't guess the exact dimensions of the place, but if he had to guess, he would have said it was a rounded square that was at least between fifty to a hundred miles around. He traveled down and looked around, trying to get a better understanding of the vast dwelling. He was interrupted by a Gallade he had seen earlier. He walked up to him and said

"Hello. You're the new resident of this den, correct?" A nodded and asked

"You were the one Warlord Aeruthael sent to inspect this place, right?" He chuckled and said

"Yeah, that's me. My name is Lang, by the way" and he stuck out his hand. A grasped it and simply said

"A. So, what are you here for?"

"Well, I figured that since you're new to the Sanctuary, you could use a tour of this place. I'll give you some general locations of important places, but then I've gotta get back to work. I'm sorry I can't give you the grand tour." A waved it off and said

"Even general locations is better than trying to figure this out for myself. Lead on." So he walked along the roads, informing him how the den system worked while at the same time pointing out the various buildings which could be used to live in. He also informed him that regular deliveries of food and water would be made so they could survive, to which A was grateful.

Eventually he pointed to the hospital, and A made a thorough mental note on where to find it. Then he led him to what had to be the largest house he had ever laid eyes on. It was about twice the size of Rick's own mansion, which Lang informed him was for the purpose of his pokemon living there. He granted a cursory tour of the home so A wouldn't get hopelessly lost and pointed out a back window to the large combat field in the backyard. A intended to get some use out of that.

Eventually he had to leave, apologizing again. A waved that off too and thanked him for his time. After he was sure he was gone, and knowing there was no one else here besides the employees of the hospital, he began to release his pokemon. When they were all gathered on the combat field, they face A and he said

"Okay, gang! We made it, but this is only the first part in what is sure to be the biggest adventure we've ever had. Thankfully, we have a gracious host; soon-to-be mothers, you are to situate yourselves in the hospital over there." And he directed them to the large white building. Once they left, A faced the remainder of his pokemon and told them

"While we're here, I'm expected to keep you all out of your pokeballs. Evidently, the pokemon here get suspicious if a human brings out a pokeball since there were attempts to capture various citizens in the past. There are many buildings here, but the majority, if not all, of you should be able to fit in this mansion provided by our kind host. So, you're all free to do whatever you want. I suggest roaming around the Sanctuary and learning its borders." A paused for a second, then said

"Rose, I want to speak with you for a bit." The Gardevoir he traveled with for so long appeared faithfully by his side, for which A was grateful. He dismissed the rest of his 'army' and walked around with her. At first he didn't speak, consumed as he was with what he saw earlier. Finally, Rose interrupted his thoughts.

"Your mind troubles you heavily." A chuckled humorlessly and said

"You ain't kidding. I can't reconcile myself with what I saw in that hangar." Rose cocked her head, confused.

"What do you mean?" Alpha began to explain everything he had learned during his excursion, and she appeared horrified, just as he had been.

"Weapons of mass destruction?! I thought this was going to be just a larger repeat of what we did with the remnants of Rocket!" A shook his head and said

"I'm no fool; I knew this was going to be a far larger scale than what we went through, and I even expected weapons. Just nothing of this caliber. I don't want to see so many die at the hands of that… monstrosity… at once. It might be more practical, but at what cost? Hundreds, maybe thousands of lives? Is that really worth it?" Rose sighed and told him

"Well, you already knew you were in for a rough time." After a brief pause, she said

"And you know the chances of us dying are far greater here, now more than ever?" A slumped and said

"Yeah, I know, and that bothers me even further. If I lose a large mass of you, I don't know how I'll cope."

"That's hardly befitting of an Arceus Knight" said a strange, masculine voice. Rose and Alpha turned this way and that before the voice chuckled and said

"Up here." Alpha's head flew up and he saw the image of a darker Gallade standing on top of a building. He jumped down in front of them and Alpha challenged

"Who are you?" The figure chuckled and said

"A brother. My name is X. Like you, I'm an Arceus Knight." A frowned and asked

"Arceus Knight?" The Gallade scoffed and asked

"Don't you know anything about us?" A crossed his arms and said

"All I knew was that Arceus chose and resurrected me to become his White Knight, the protector of pokemon. Other than that, he was very secretive toward me." The being who called himself X chuckled again and said

"Yeah, well, Arceus is mostly straightforward with our objectives, just not the whole spectrum of why we do it or even how sometimes. Nevertheless, you and I are similar, if only that we protect the sanctity of Arceus' realm. What you might not realize is that some of us have jobs farther away from home than others. You're one of the few who stick around on this planet, which is good right now." A scowled and said

"What's that supposed to mean?" X sighed and said

"Look, I'm just going to skip to the point; compared to the rest of us, you're fairly weak. Since you're new to the position, that's to be expected. But it won't help you here, so I'm going to be training you. Mostly your strength and speed, but I can also help in your sword technique. You've done well, given your circumstances, but you still have very far to go until you officially reach the title of Arceus Knight. Since we're limited on time, I'm going to be taking you to a special place and train you till you're black and blue, but don't worry, it won't seem like more than a day or so to your pokemon." A frowned and asked

"How's that possible?"

"I'm essentially the master of the time flow and fate. As such, I have the ability to transcend time and space."

"Impossible," A said, "Dialga and Palkia are the masters of time and space, with the exception of Arceus, of course." X laughed loudly and asked mockingly

"I didn't say I was the _master_ of time and space, though, did I? I said I could _transcend _through it. Now, if your quite finished…" A ripple surrounded X, then A, and they both disappeared, leaving Rose flustered for a while. A found himself in a dark, shifting room. It was full of various weapons and training equipment. He faced X with a dark expression and said

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Training you. Now then, the first thing we're going to have to do is build up your strength, stamina, and speed." A drew his sword and lit it up, growling

"If you think I'm going to take orders from you, you've got another thing coming." X smirked and disappeared. A whirled around, looking for him, and soon he felt a sharp pain on his back and neck, sending him to the floor. X appeared in front of him and said

"Let the hell begin."

**Alright, now X is training Alpha! Before anyone asks, yes, I had GalladeFenrir44's permission to do this. This chapter was far longer than any other I've ever written, but I think it's good anyway. So, tell me what you think!**


	29. Ch 29: The Meaning Of Strength

**Hello, everybody! This is pretty much just going to be a filler chapter concerning A's training with X. Let's begin...**

A slowly came back to consciousness and was aware of a terrible pain on the back of his neck and somewhere between his shoulder blades. He groaned as he sat up, catching the attention of the ultra-powered Gallade not too far from him.

"Finally awake are you? Sorry, I didn't think I hit you that hard. Either that or you're weak." Anger flared in A, but after a moment, he calmed himself, remembering his training with Virizion. For a moment, the Gallade regarded him with shock, and he asked

"How did you do that so quickly?" A frowned, then asked

"Do what?" X rolled his eyes, then said

"How did you go from anger to calm so quickly? Most humans would have blatantly lashed out at me, whereupon I would send them back to the floor. Yet, even as a human, you managed to control your emotions very well." As A stood and brushed himself off, he replied

"I'm not sure whether to be pleased or insulted." X laughed, then said

"It's really a compliment, mostly for not rising to the bait. It seems I won't have to waste any time teaching you about that. Which leaves plenty of room for building your strength and stamina, as well as helping you unlock your final technique." A raised an eyebrow and asked

"You know my final technique?" X hesitated, then gave a half-shrug, half-nod.

"Well, I don't know what it is, but all of us Arceus Knights have a final technique. When the rest join us for battle, by the way, you might find yourself challenged."

"Why would that be?" A asked, frowning. X told him

"For the most part, Arceus only employs the dead as his knights, ensuring they won't die; you know, because they're already dead. You are the one exception I have seen so far. I don't know if there are any other resurrected knights besides yourself. On top of that, you're one of two humans that comprise the Knights; the rest of us are pokemon." A placed a hand to his chin in thought, then asked

"Do we all have swords? Or do some have specialized weapons?" X hesitated for a moment, then said

"I'm not too sure on that point. I know that several of us, including you and I, utilize swords. However, I cannot speak for the rest of our brethren. Be that as it may, you will undoubtedly be challenged to check your strength. We won't accept laggards on our small but overpowering group, so you have to be trained and taught. Arceus informed me that you had some training, but he didn't go into specifics, telling me you would be able to explain." A smirked and said

"Well, as long as you don't keep knocking me out, we might get somewhere." X smirked and shot back

"Don't unwittingly challenge me again; I won't go as easy next time." A shivered, then shook the feeling off and said

"Okay. Well, considering how far the Musketeers trained me, you might have enough to go off of." X frowned and asked

"The Musketeers trained you? They currently have a sever vendetta against humans. How did you convince them to train you?" A thought for a second, then replied

"Well, that vendetta must wear off within the next fifty to eighty years, because three of them didn't have an issue with me, although Cobalion was rather... difficult in the beginning." X frowned and said

"I believe we have a bit of a lack of communication here. You said that three of the Musketeers dealt amiably with you, yet you mention Cobalion as having not liked you. How exactly does that work?" A himself frowned and asked

"Is Keldeo not part of their group at this time?" X cocked his head and repeated

"Keldeo? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that name." A grunted, then said

"I guess that's just another thing that occurs within my lifetime. You might be surprised to learn this, but I was transported here from the future by Arceus. Maybe I shouldn't have said that, but since we were having a problem with communication, it was probably necessary."

"The future? I thought you dwelled in another dimension entirely." A shook his head and responded

"Nope. If I have my bearings correct, Arceus transported me from about eighty, eighty-five years in the future. And believe me, I have seen a lot in my time." X chuckled and said

"Don't tell me about having an extended lifetime; I've probably had far more life experience than you." Keeping things amicable, A held up his hands and said

"You probably have. But I'm not exactly a pathetic child, you know." X nodded and said

"I never said you were. Anyway, I'm sure we could talk the entire time we're here, but we should really move on with your training." Concerned, A asked X

"Do you have the time allotment cleared with Warlord Aeruthael? He might need our assistance at some point in battle, and if we're not there, we might end up losing." X threw back his head and laughed loudly, then straightened up and said

"You don't have to worry too much about time. It would take too long to explain; suffice to say that I will spend the next six months in here training you, and when we return it will only be the night of the same day I whisked you in here. Just accept it and don't waste time, alright?" A decided to just accept this nonsense as fact and drew his sword, ready to train. X, however, motioned for him to put it away.

"You're not ready for that just yet. Instead, take this." He tossed something long and thin to A, and when he caught it proved to be a wooden sword. A held it up and said

"You're kidding, right?" X lifted an eyebrow and asked

"Oh? You'd rather I cut you to ribbons?" A thought for a bit, then said

"On second thought, this seems like an excellent place to start." X smirked, then brought out his own wooden sword. He began to strike a series of poses with it, confusing A until he glanced at him and said

"You should really be copying me. Some of these moves have the potential to save your life, and considering where we're going, that will serve you well." A jumped and tried to get a grip on his wooden weapon, then took a deep breath and began to copy X's movements as best he could manage. It wasn't easy since many of them required more dexterity than he currently possessed. But that would be something that would more than likely be addressed. Once they were finished executing the moves, A wiped the sweat off his brow and straightened, wincing like the old man he had once been. X noticed this and said

"You're not quitting already, are you?" A shook his head and replied

"Of course not, I'm just not used to this yet. Give me a couple of weeks and I'll get the hang of it." X smirked and told him

"I give you a week to have this down. We're not going anywhere since I have plenty of supplies to keep us going for the six months, and there isn't exactly anything else to do here." A nodded and began executing the first of the maneuvers again, saying

"One week, then." X nodded approvingly and began showing him the complicated style again.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

By the end of the week, A was very proficient with the steps of swordplay, and had even begun to pick up speed when executing them. A woke up for their regular routine, quickly getting up before the Gallade felt the need to. His wooden sword was tossed at him and he caught it gracefully. He wasn't entirely sure just what this Gallade Knight was accomplishing with him, but he was not going to argue it when clearly he was already stronger than a week ago, though that was going to be put to the test today.

"Now, we spar." A stood for a moment, dumbfounded, then raised a finger and said dumbly

"Uh..." X smirked and told him

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you. This is just to test how well you memorized the steps of swordplay. The trick is you can mix them infinitely in any way you wish to accomplish a goal. Plus, I'm testing your speed, strength, and stamina. And if I can get an idea of your reflexes, that'll be a bonus. Now, prepare yourself."

And just like that he disappeared. A whirled around, searching for him, keeping his knees flexed. He stepped carefully, testing the ground with his foot before placing his weight. It was pretty well flat in this area, but X had a nasty habit of tripping him up, perhaps with string/wire, deliberately moving his foot, or the ever-cliché banana peel.

So he searched, keeping his breathing deep and low, his ears and eyes wide open, and his instincts sharp. He heard X's voice ring out, but he couldn't tell from where.

"Good, keeping yourself alert; that will indeed keep you alive. Remember, keep your legs springy and flexible so you can adapt to any change in environment." A nodded but didn't respond. He suddenly heard a sound, as if a breath of wind, and he expertly swung his arm behind him and raised the sword, hopefully deflecting a strike. His hand was twisted painfully and he dropped his sword with a clattering noise. He jumped and rolled, springing to his feet, refusing to give in to the pain he felt, thinking back on Virizion's words.

"Good, you know to drop your weapon if holding it will only cause further harm. However, I did give you the opportunity to get away without having to drop it. Excellent tactic, moving away where you are certain your enemy is hiding. Not always successful, especially against multiple opponents, but useful nonetheless." He stopped talking and set back on the offensive, whereas A moved on the defense. He knew if he wanted to have a ghost of a chance, he needed his weapon. However, he was equally certain that X would have some guard over it. So he slowly moved, not necessarily toward it, but enough so that, in the event X attacked, he might be able to retrieve it in time.

He continued stepping lightly, refusing to give in so early. He heard the sound again and rushed to the ground, making sure he would have plenty opportunity to stand back up, which he did. He immediately sprinted for the sword, hoping X would be occupied from the undoubtable lag his attack would require. Today would not be a day for small victories, however.

X appeared before A, halting his progress and kicking the wooden sword away. Resorted to his hands and feet, A put his fists in front of his face, splayed his legs apart for optimal balance, and kept his arms moving in front of his body. His body was relaxed to make for easier movements, and upon seeing all of this, X chuckled and said

"Fight like a man and die like a dog, huh? That's good; it means you won't give up until the bitter end."

"Nor will I" A said before quickly jabbing at X. He disappeared again and appeared behind A, which he was somewhat expecting. He quickly turned and tried catching the sword X swung at him. He blocked the move, and although it stung, A tried slugging him again. Predictably, X vanished one more time and appeared above him.

A backtracked quickly, keeping his balance as best he could during the maneuver. X came to a stop on the ground in front of him, and A kicked at him before he could get up. X smirked and caught his foot in one hand. A immediately tried pulling back, but with a deft flick of the wrist, X caused A to fall to the ground. A scrambled up and quickly searched for X again. He wasn't around, so A raised his guard again. He stepped quietly, being careful about his steps again.

Suddenly he felt something underneath his foot. Unsure of what it was, he placed his foot carefully around the object. He spared a passing glance he was afraid to give, lest X come in for a finishing attack. He spotted his sword, but he made no reaction. Instead, he searched around him again. He knew X was there; he just couldn't be seen. So with carefulness, he reached down as if he was going to pick up the weapon.

He saw a flash of green and quickly brought up his fist, colliding into X's chest, to the left of his spike. X _whuffed_ and stopped where he was, still holding his sword in a position to club A over the head. A gulped when he saw this, and he nervously said

"Geez, if this is you on easy, I'd hate to go against you when you're trying." X chuckled, then stooped and picked the dropped weapon back up, handing it to A and saying

"Good job for your first battle. You did much better than I expected, so we'll try that again and see what happens. Try to keep a hold of your weapon this time; it might help you." A nodded and returned to his side of the battlefield, ready to see what he could do this round.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Two months had passed for A now, and during this time he became much faster, far stronger, and could last longer in battle than he could before, but he was still using the wooden sword. X had told him, depending on how he progressed, they would move onto their real swords within a few weeks, give or take a few days.

A was excited to learn that he was progressing very quickly indeed, far faster than X expected, which made him pleased. X had gotten into the finer details of sword mastery, and even began explaining a method he could utilize his sword as a multipurpose weapon, able to throw it and even call it back. They hadn't applied it yet because X wanted to make sure A knew what he was doing before he actually tried it.

Today was another sparring day, and to check the length of his progress, X was going to go easy on him again. With the exception, of course, of blindfolding A so it wasn't unduly unmatched. A protested it, but the Gallade told him

"You must be prepared for the scenario of being blinded while in battle. It happens more often than you think, and developing this skill is a worthy endeavor. All you have to do is land a hit on me, then we can break for the day. Now then, let us begin."

A settled into a battle crouch and waited. He noticed while his eyes were covered and he couldn't rely on vision to aid him, his ears tried to compensate for what his eyes couldn't do. He kept himself light and moved as carefully as ever, his breathing hardly noticeable now. He held his breath for a moment, instinct flaring up. He heard a small _whoosh _on his right and dodged left, striking slightly before the area he heard the noise. He alighted back on his feet and waited for the next attacked.

He could hear light footsteps that were closely matched to his, and he stopped. The footsteps stopped as well, and he walked again, hearing them once more. He stopped again and waited for the footsteps to stop. When they did, he made to move his foot, then suddenly sprang backward and swung his arm away from his body, completing the backflip without hitting anything.

He landed lightly and settled into a crouch again, and he heard X tell him

"Very perceptive. And I certainly didn't expect you to employ such methods, which nearly succeeded, I might tell you. You have certainly gotten far in such a short time."

The compliment was genuine, but it was a ruse as well. While he was complimented, X would probably expect him to lower his guard. If he had used this method when A first started out, that would have well happened. All he needed was that split-second advantage he wouldn't expect him to take advantage of, and he could claim victory.

He waited with baited breath, and when he heard the faint oncoming rush of air, he swiftly dodged and feinted a downward strike. He heard the sound of someone alighting not too far to his left, and he deftly threw the sword in that direction.

There was a soft _bonk _and a loud

"Ow!" A smirked, then lifted his blindfold to find X rubbing the back of his head. X smirked and said

"Stupid and unorthodox, but effective nonetheless. That should only be a last resort, however, so don't do that again." A bowed to him and X smiled, saying

"Alright, let's go over your sword technique now."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The fourth month in, A was becoming far more proficient than he ever had been with his sword before. Where before it was fairly light, now it was as heavy as a feather. Plus, he found he could utilize its power far more effectively than before, which made him hopeful that he would soon master the ultimate technique, Judgement.

X had been a harder drill sergeant when he drew his sword than when he used the wooden one. Moreover, he had been increasing his difficulty level to help improve A. It was definitely working, but A went to his sleep roll with more bruises and scrapes than he would have liked.

The time had arrived for them to do a normal sword battle; no powers, no special moves, just a regular sword fight. X and A stood on opposite sides of the field, facing off against each other. They both bowed in courtesy, then settled into their battle stances. X made the first move as the Gallade ran up to him with prodigious speed, but A was accustomed to this and swung his sword to meet X's attack.

Blade clashed against blade and the two were held up in a drive for dominance. X pushed hard against A, and since he was taller he could bear down on him. A refused to back down, however, and he dug his feet into the ground for a firm grip, pushing hard back. What X didn't know was that A was slowly crouching his legs deliberately, whereas X believed he was pushing him down.

A gathered power in his legs, and when he felt ready, he loosed a shout and pushed up against X, taking him by surprise. X stumbled only very slightly, and A tried to capitalize on this by jabbing at him, keeping his arm bent. X deflected the attack and jabbed back, but A moved to the right, using his sword to bang his wrist and push the weapon further away from him. Then he tried to push his sword up against his throat, but before the motion was halfway finished, X brought his arm up and extended his elbow sword, blocking A's attack.

A growled and pushed him back, saying

"What happened to not using our powers?" X smirked and retracted his blade, telling him

"That's a natural part of my body; it doesn't require the use of my powers, so it's fair game. Care to call me on it?"

A lowered himself into a crouch and pounced, twisting his body in midair to avoid X's strike. He swung down with his blessed blade, meeting up against X's own sword, and completed his aerial assault by touching down on the ground lightly. He raised his sword in anticipation of X's counter-attack and wasn't disappointed. Swords clashed as A stood back up and began to execute a series of deft movements combined with wicked strikes. X either deflected or dodged all of them, and when A could take no more, he flopped down, beginning to heave for breath. He expected X to swoop in for the victory, but he was sheathing his sword, saying

"You're doing very well. You should keep in mind, though, that your opponent won't always adhere to their word, especially not your enemies that lean toward the side of evil. Be prepared for anything on the battlefield. If you wish to keep it honor-bound, wait for your opponent to violate the terms first; then it's fair game."

A nodded, and he and X went to continue his technique training. He was trying to learn his ultimate technique, and although he was getting there, it seemed as unattainable as before. But he refused to give up.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It was the final day of the month that X told A he would be returning home, since the power concerning his dimension needed to be replenished, which X said would take a few months, but in the time of this dimension. A didn't challenge him on this matter, but instead drew his sword and prepared for their final battle.

In this one, X told A he wasn't necessarily going to go all out, but this challenge would be harder than all the others. Fortunately by this time, A was accustomed to relentless beatings, and he also could jump to heights that exceeded human height by several feet. A never got tired of that, and he couldn't wait to show Rose and the others the extent of his new abilities.

X disappeared and A closed his eyes, trying to predict where X would show up. He jumped and performed a backflip, blocking X's upward strike; he had predicted A would jump over him, and A had predicted that he would strike above him. Now A tried bracing his foot against X's back to shove him away. However, X rushed forward and leaving A without support. A caught the ground with his left hand and quickly pushed himself back, expecting a series of strikes from X.

Here, however, he was surprised. X had sent a flurry of shadows from the tip of his sword, aiming directly at A. A covered the sword in darkness and struck against the shadows with precision, and when there was a break in the attack, he shot flames at the Gallade. He raised a psychic shield to deflect the pyre; A shot a blast of darkness, shattering the shield and causing him to flinch. A rushed forward with a flow of air to speed his progress.

X saw it coming and raised his sword, covering it with shadows again. A covered his blade with shadows also and clashed their weapons together, creating a harsh and discordant _clang_. X shoved A back and fired a Psycho Cut at him, which A easily sliced. Then X fired a flurry of Psycho Cuts at him, whereupon A summoned the power of dark and began swinging with a passion, cutting up all the variously colored attacks with precision.

The battle continued much in this manner, with sweeps, head-butts, and even punches and kicks, but neither party would yield to the other. After an excruciating twenty minutes of this, however, X and A stood ten feet apart, both panting heavily. X smirked, then bowed to A and sheathed his sword. Slightly surprised, A returned the gesture and replaced his own blade into its scabbard. X walked forward and held out a hand. A ventured forth cautiously and grasped it, expecting some sort of continuation of the battle. However, X started to shake his hand, saying

"Congratulations; you are officially an Arceus Knight. Welcome to our sector, brother." Shocked, A bowed again and said

"Thank you. What does this mean for me now?" X smiled, then told him

"We have bi-annual meetings, or meetings every two years, where we gather and report to Arceus what has occurred to us during g the intervening time. I believe you have attended at least one meeting of the gods?" A nodded and said

"Yes, two total so far." X nodded and said

"Well, our meetings are much like that, but only between the Arceus Knights and Arceus himself. What is your position?"

"Guardian of Pokemon." X contemplated for a moment, then said

"I'll let you know when the next meeting is; we meet in the Hall of Origin, at Arceus' meeting room. You should know where that is." A nodded and X continued.

"One more thing you should know; when you unlock your ultimate technique, whatever it may be, you will also unlock your full battle form." A cocked his head in confusion and asked

"Full battle form?" X chuckled and said

"It would be easier to demonstrate." With that, he took his cloak off, but a black pillar of something covered him. A would have sworn it was fire, but it was difficult to be sure. When it settled down, his full battle form was revealed and A couldn't help but stare in amazement.

X was wearing black armor, had black wings, and his blade had split into two separate swords connected by chains to his hands. X now wore a mask over his face, which was iron and had horns on it. It was black and grey, had eye holes, with a skull-like appearance.

"Whoa..." was A's reply. X chuckled and said

"Yours won't look exactly like this, but I'm sure it will be glorious nevertheless."

After another pillar of black-whatever, X appeared in his regular form and opened up the portal back to the den he was claiming while he was participating in the war. X grabbed A by the arm and flew forward, disorienting A a bit whenever they exited the realm. By Alpha's eyes, it was about night, but he wasn't sure how much time had really passed. X grabbed A's attention and said

"Remember, in this realm you have only been gone for the day. Your pokemon might be very surprised where you got your newfound strength, so enjoy the surprise while it lasts." A chuckled and X released him. X said

"Until next time, brother." And he was gone. A took a deep breath and began walking to the mansion, and whenever he neared it, he called out to Rose. She appeared within a second, and she rushed him, saying

"Where have you been?! Are you alright, did he hurt you, when did you-"

"Rose," A cut her off "I'm fine. All he did was take me to his special training dimension and worked me over. Tell me, how long was I gone?" Rose frowned in confusion but answered

"The whole day. Why?" A chuckled and replied

"Well, I know you're not going to believe me, but for me it was six months." Rose's eyes widened in shock, so A walked with her back to the house, weaving the tale of his adventure.

**There we go, now A is much stronger. He should be quite the asset to the war now, huh? So, review and tell me what you think.**


	30. Ch 30: A Minor Surprise, And Irritation

**Oh man, this is gonna be intense, I can tell!**

A woke up and rose from his bed, feeling remarkably refreshed. He stretched his muscles, feeling the power he now possessed course through tem. Yet despite the new extent of his abilities, he still had yet to unlock his final technique, which he was eager to do. He wanted to see the move that could be compared to Arceus' Judgement, but if it required something from him, he didn't know what.

He dressed for the day in the same attire that Arceus had presented to him the day he was revived. He buckled his belt and badge on, but left the pack off. Since he was expected to keep his pokemon out of their balls the entire time he was here, there was no point carrying the pack for a while. He exited his room and ran across his Lucario, Baxter.

"Hello, Alpha. How are you this morning?" A bowed his head in greeting and said

"I'm fine, thank you. How are you today?" He shrugged and said

"Seen better, felt worse." A chuckled and began walking down the hall, saying

"Not much to report then?"

"Nope." They both shared a laugh, then A went to the back yard to see most of his pokemon gathered. There were, however, some missing. A expected to not see the expectant pokemon; that was only natural. He located his Exploud, Sid, and walked over to him, asking

"Hey Sid, can you give the call?" Sid smiled, taking up the majority of his features, and said

"You might want to cover your ears, though." A nodded and lifted his hands, but before he covered his ears he warned

"Just don't bring the ceiling down on our heads." Sid nodded, and when A's ears were well covered, he drew back, taking a massive breath, then began to shout. After half a minute, he closed his mouth, and within another half minute, his pokemon were gathered around him. Many were wondering why they had been summoned, and when A started talking, they stopped and listened. Such was the extent of their respect for him.

"Okay guys, I have been thinking for a while. While I have no doubt that our host, Warlord Aeruthael, is Warlord for a reason, he still cavorts around too much for my liking. Therefore, we will have to pick our training up so we can take care of any slack. Understand?" They all nodded, some excitedly, others solemnly. Once he had everyone's agreement, he said

"Alright, those of you with Shadow Pulse, keep up the training. Individual Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse users, find a partner and work on it. That's probably one of our best bets right now, so I want that move to be well known. Mark, Theya and Rose, you guys start organizing groups for Shadow Burn, Shock, and Freeze. Next, Flash Cannons and Energy Balls, I want you guys practicing Energy Cannon. The sooner we get these combo moves perfected, the better. Then we'll be prepared for whatever challenges they throw at us."

His pokemon nodded again and started breaking up into their groups. The users of Shadow Pulse gathered by themselves and began demonstrating their power. There was a contest of sorts, to see who could come up with the largest Shadow Pulse without it exploding in their faces. A smirked, thinking it would be interesting to join in. He searched through the groups and saw Mark, Theya and Rose teaching their students their ultra-powerful elemental Shadow moves. That was by far one of the more interesting Shadow moves he had thought up, but one of the prettiest, he had to debate, was Shadow Beam, or a combined Shadow Ball and Signal Beam. Rose, of course, utilized it, and that was part of what she was teaching her students, or at least those who could use either move.

As time passed by, A patrolled the grounds, keeping watch over his troops. Occasionally he spotted a random Gallade he knew wasn't Loran. He figured they were guards or something, a regular group to keep watch over the Sanctuary, which A would have to explore at some point if it wasn't for his inconspicuity. Being the only human here, so far as he knew, had its disadvantages. But he knew he could defend himself, if it came to that.

A few hours after they had begun, A called for lunch. He and several of his pokemon brought out the food which had been delivered that morning, which A was grateful for. It was frustrating that he couldn't utilize the pack for this purpose, but he supposed Rick had his reasons. Everyone settled down to eat, and Rose walked over to A and sat next to him. A smirked and said

"You know, if other people saw the way you act around me, they would get the wrong idea." She was chewing at the moment, so she replied telepathically

"_And I would correct them. It doesn't matter what they think; we don't exactly hang around a particular area for very long."_ A inclined his head and replied

"True, but if my identity were to leak out and they begin to see me as a pokephiliac, all sorts of trouble would be raining down on my head. I know I don't really support that, and I'm sure I'll break up many cases of it, but if I was perceived as being part of it, that would ensue hypocritical accusations." Rose shrugged, then said

"Well, I'm not hugging or kissing you. Hell, I have two children now, by my mate! So there's no way people would get that idea." A rolled his eyes and said

"Well, that's all fine and dandy for us. But nobody outside of our little group knows that, so it's pretty much null. At least here, in a place filled with your species, we're safe from those accusations. Or at least I hope so." Rose growled and said

"If anyone dares to accuse you of that, I'll show them exactly what it means to be a pokemon under your training." A laughed and said

"Thanks for your concern, but I don't think that'll be necessary. I have the feeling I won't be getting out of this… den?... much anyway. So we shouldn't have to worry about that." A kept eating, thinking about something else.

"You know what?"

"What?" Rose asked.

"We haven't celebrated the recent holidays. I think we all missed Christmas." Rose looked ahead and thought hard, and upon realizing her master was right, she turned to him and said

"Dang." A laughed at her response, then his smirk turned into a glummer expression.

"Come to think of it, I haven't really celebrated anything family-oriented in quite a while, except occasionally with you guys. And I've never paid attention to the lesser holidays, least of all Valentines." Rose frowned and asked

"Why not? Surely you've had at least one sweetheart within your lifetime." A hesitated, then shook his head. Rose put down her sandwich and said

"Okay, now I know you're lying. Come on, who is it?" A sighed and said

"It's probably more like 'was'. Well, back in Kanto, when I was Red, there was me and my rival, Blue. But what no one else really knows is that there was someone else. Her name is, or was, Green. It was kinda funny how that worked out between the three of us. Anyway, where I had taken Blitz, Blue had taken the Squirtle. All that was left for her, naturally, was a Bulbasaur. Nevertheless, she took and raised it, in her own way. I cared deeply for my pokemon, Blue was just obsessed with getting stronger, and Green… well, we had a lot in common where caring for pokemon was concerned. I only came across her a couple of times, but during that time, I fell in love with her." Rose 'aww'd' at this, but A sighed and hung his head, saying

"It didn't quite work out how you think." Rose gasped and asked

"Did she reject you?" A shook his head and replied

"I couldn't even work up the courage to tell her. After I left Kanto for Orre again, she became more prominent, though my legacy was never forgotten. I returned briefly after my Hoenn run to search for her and tell her how I felt. I never did find her though, so my love went without ever being reciprocated, rejected, or fully realized. From then on, I swore I would find her. But as time went on, I became less hopeful, figuring after ten years she would already have been tied to someone else, so I gave up completely. And after nearly eighty-five years, she's surely gone. Blue will probably have kicked it too, then there's May, and Dawn and Barry, Cheren and Bianca… the list of people I knew that are dead or most likely dead just keeps going. Now it's even extending to my pokemon." A sighed heavily and continued as Rose rubbed his shoulder reassuringly.

"First it was Blitz, then I lost Umbra… you know, the entire six months I was in that training chamber, I never got a chance to grieve. So the wound is as fresh as it was yesterday, and to top it all off, Rick has an Umbreon on his team. I can't really bear looking at it without remembering everything we've done as a team."

The tears began to form in his eyes again, and he rubbed them out furiously before they could fall. The rest of their lunch was spent in silence, and when everyone was finished, A stood back up and said

"Okay, gang, talk among yourselves and wait for the food to settle. After about an hour, we'll get back to training." They began talking, waiting for the time to pass by. When it did, A told them to get started, but they could go easy. While they did, A started a conversation with Woof, wondering how the soon-to-be proud father was feeling. There was a tap at his shoulder and he turned to see his Audino, Cheryl, looking up at him and asked

"Do you hear that?" A smirked and said

"Probably not. What do you hear?"

"Knocking." A paused and focused, listening intently. He heard a knock at what he assumed to be the front door. Then he waved it off and said

"It's probably another delivery of food. Rose, could you answer that? And if it's another curious pokemon, tell them I'm busy, but get their name, would you?" Rose nodded and teleported away. A thanked Cheryl, then turned back to Woof and continued the conversation he had started. Within a minute, however, he noticed that his pokemon seemed to be stopping their training and looking toward the mansion. He looked there himself and saw Rick standing at the door next to Rose, scoping his entire team. A bowed his head and Rick said

"Good to see you again, A. I have to say, I'm surprised by the number of pokemon that you have. How did you carry all these pokemon around with you?" After a moment of consideration, he shook his head and said

"Actually, that's not important." A chuckled a little at Rick's curiosity and responded

"Hello to you too, Warlord Aeruthael. I see that you met Rose." Rick nodded and said

"I have. I didn't notice that you were training right now. If I had known I would of come back at a better time." A waved it off and replied

"Oh, it's alright. Sorry; at first I didn't hear the knock on the door. Then I heard the second knock and sent Rose to answer it. I was too busy training these guys." Rick nodded and told him

"You have the right to do as you see fit. So far this entire place is reserved for you." A tilted his head noncommittally and said

"Yeah, but you own it." Rick laughed quietly and said

"I guess I do. Mind if we talk inside?"

"Sure!" A turned to his pokemon and told them

"Continue your training like I taught you. I won't be long. Rose, you can tag along if you want." Rose shook her head and said

"No, your personal business should be your own." A nodded and led Rick into the mansion. They walked all the way to the living room and sat down across from each other. Rick looked around and analyzed the details of the living room; it had a stone fireplace, walls that were pearl white and stone at the bottom, and the furniture complimented the room well. Rick started the conversation by asking

"I take it that everything has been well provided for you?" A nodded and replied

"Yes, everything I needed has been provided and my pokemon have had no complaints so far."

"I'm glad to hear it. Tell me, is there anything I can do to make your stay more...comfortable?" A thought for a moment, then told him

"No. So far we have everything we need right now. Thank you so." Rick dipped his head and said

"You're very welcome. Let me give you some information on your residence here. You are free to do as you like with my blessing. However, you have to remember that you do not have immunity from the law, and I may be forced to arrest you if the situation calls for it." A nodded in understanding and replied

"No need to worry. I'm not going to cause any trouble in the Sanctuary." Rick also nodded and said

"I trust you. Also, don't worry about the soldiers and guards. I talked to them and explained your presence here. You will be treated with respect."

"Thank you. That takes one worry off my shoulders."

"Also, there will be guards patrolling the area at all times to make sure that you and your pokemon are safe. Don't be alarmed when you see them. I assure you, you won't even notice them." A smirked and remembered the Gallade he saw earlier.

"I'm sure I'll notice a guard. They're not exactly inconspicuous." Rick laughed and argued

"Really? Have you noticed that there's been a guard in this room watching over my visit the whole time?" A was taken aback and he asked

"A guard? Where?" A turned to look to his right and saw said guard standing in the room. The guard looked at him and gave him a salute.

"Sir!" A saluted back dumbly and looked back at Rick.

"I didn't even notice him here." Rick laughed and said

"Told you! I trained them well."

"I'll say!"

"Now, to get to something I wanted to ask you."

"What's on your mind?" Rick sat back as he said

"There's something bothering you. I sensed it yesterday during the tour of the Mercury. You didn't like the weapons on it, did you?" A was astonished on how Rick figured it out. He figured that Rick's species powers helped him figure it out.

"Yeah, I didn't. It wasn't anything I was expecting from someone trying to liberate pokemon. I'm actually starting to believe that you're trying to destroy everything." Rick chuckled, a reaction that A didn't expect. But he preferred it over Rick getting infuriated at him.

"I'm already aware of this. Don't worry, I'm not angry. No, I'm fighting against Team Rocket...and all their associates."

"Associates?" A asked, now curious.

"Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic, Team Plasma, and the remnants of Cipher." A was severely taken aback as he asked quietly

"Cipher?"

"Have you heard of them?" A thought quickly for a second. While he was safe, there was no sense in revealing his full identity.

"Yes, but I heard they were eliminated some time ago." Rick began to say

"They were beaten down to submission by some guy called Michael. However, they now serve as a form of mercenary group for the current teams. Whoever this Michael guy was, he should have finished the job." A felt a flash of irritation. How dare he say that?! He had done the best he could without actually killing anybody, and if he hadn't done anything then Cipher would have overthrown the world! Rick then sighed and said

"However, that's not my place to judge. When I was part of Team Rocket, I could have destroyed them from the inside. I should of taken my chances, but I didn't. If I had, I wouldn't be worrying about all this war today." A was now shocked by what he heard. He asked suspiciously

"You were a part of Team Rocket?"

"Yeah, I forgot to brief you on the details of the war." A grew rather irritated and serious

"I'd like to hear it."

"Calm down! I WAS a part of Team Rocket, but then I defected and crippled their operations for a few years."

"But you still joined them."

"Not by choice. Team Rocket ruined my life and turned me into something that I should not be." Rick examined his hand for a short time, and then claws came out of his fingers.

"I can't tell you how much I hate them. It's a hate that burns hotter than any hellfire, and they caused me pain worse than any torture." A calmed down considerably and asked

"What did they do to you?" He said this with more sympathy.

"They killed my parents and my sister." A frowned and asked

"But I saw your parents. How can they be dead?"

"Arceus brought them back, but only for a few more days. I was happy, I got to gain a relationship with my parents again. I'm just sad that it's not permanent." A smacked his forehead, saying

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you had connections to Arceus...I'm sorry, I didn't know. What about your sister?" Rick sighed and said

"If you're going to be on my team then I guess I should open up to you. After my parents were killed by Team Rocket, they took me and my sister to different facilities to be experimented on. Where I survived the experimentation, my sister did not. I DID die seven times, but I kept coming back to life. Arceus had bigger plans for me. By the end of the experimentation I became what is known as a Rocket Project; Project Alpha." Rick lifted his right fist so that A could see the glowing 'A'.

"Anyways, I stayed with them from the time I was seven until I became ten. Then I defected, killed many of their members, and wounded Giovanni. I didn't kill any of the other Projects, so now I have to fight against them, but not all of them are evil. We actually have some on our side. Giovanni didn't foresee that if you give creatures free will and treat them badly, then they WILL lash out at you." A thought for a moment, then asked quietly

"What are we up against?"

"Monsters. Monsters of incredible power. I'm not talking about the Projects now. Is there anything you want to know about me now?" A shook his head and replied

"No. I guess I'll figure everything out on my own. But let me get one thing straight; You're not trying to destroy humans or pokemon?"

"No. Because someone wronged me doesn't mean that I have the right to wrong others. This is a secret war that the outside world may not be completely aware of. Don't worry about the Goliad Missiles and the Ragnarok Cannon. Those are only a last resort. Hell, the Ragnarok Cannon is not in my list of things to use unless need be." A nodded, now understanding better why he had heard nothing about this war, even if he had recently arrived.

"Alright. I understand." Rick looked at him for a minute, then said

"Tell me, what is your task?"

"To aid you in battle."

"Nooooo, That's your mission. What is your task?" A was now confused and didn't hesitate to say it.

"I don't comprehend." Rick thought for a moment how to phrase it differently, then said

"What is it that you devote your life to doing? What is it that you work so hard to accomplish?" Understanding better now, A replied

"To protect pokemon everywhere." Rick nodded and told him

"Rest assured that we have similar goals."

"I sure hope so." Rick smiled and looked at A's blade.

"That's a nice sword." A was surprised by the change of subject, but he was happy that they were talking about something less morbid.

"Thanks. It was a gift from Arceus."

"Do you know how to use it?"

"Of course! I had training." A looked at Shadowbane.

"Your sword looks good too. Mind if I hold it?" Rick nodded and smirked, saying

"Sure, if you want to be killed by my blade itself, then go ahead and hold it." Rick said as he drew Shadowbane out of its sheath and presented it to A. A shook his head.

"I'd rather not take my chances. Your sword is like mine; it harms those it rejects."

"Sword from Arceus?"

"Yes."

"Same here. I have two." A arched an eyebrow.

"Two?" Rick nodded and the Arceus symbol on his left hand began to glow. Suddenly, a bright sword appeared in his hand. The dark sword began to ripple, and when it settled it was different, more angled and deadly looking. A was surprised by both swords and Rick chuckled at his surprise.

"The light sword is called Sovereign. The shadow sword is called Shadowbane. Both swords were crafted by Arceus' own hands. Shadowbane has been in the Sanctuary for the last 1,800 years, and has cursed all those that took it out. Arceus gave me Sovereign when I accepted his mission. Then I found out that they are sister swords, which is why Shadowbane changes its form when Sovereign is brought out." A nodded in contemplation, then told him

"My sword was crafted by Heatran, but Arceus gave it to me. It can change its typing at my command." Rick lifted an eyebrow, then bragged

"My swords can control light and darkness at my will. I'm learning how to use them though, especially Sovereign. They can be offensive or defensive. Sovereign can become a shield that forces enemies back or throws them back when they clash with it. Shadowbane can create protective force fields to protects a certain area. Other than that I need to learn how to use their power a bit more." A chuckled and asked

"Want to try out our skills?" Rick lifted the eyebrow again and asked

"Are you challenging me to spar?" A smirked and said

"I might be, if you accept." Rick grinned and said

"Challenge accepted." Rick and A got up and immediately walked back to the training field, where all of A's pokemon were still training with one another. They stopped again when they saw Rick. Rick asked A

"Are they going to keep stopping when they see me?" A pulled a wincing/apologetic face and replied

"Oh, they just don't know who you are. I told them about you, but I didn't explain to them exactly who you were. One moment please." A then told his pokemon

"Guys, this is Warlord Aeruthael. He's our host, and for a while, our boss. Please give him the respect he deserves." All of his pokemon immediately gave Rick signs of respect in their own ways.

"Anyway, please clear the field. Me and him are going to spar." All his pokemon sweatdropped and moved off the field. Rick and A walked to their respective positions and sheathed their swords. Rick teleported wooden swords to his hands and threw one to A, who caught it and took a battle position.

"So any conditions?"

"Yeah, no powers. Blades and hand-to-hand only." A nodded and said

"Good conditions. Let's go!"

They both bowed their heads and then charged at one another, clashing their swords. They exchanged slashes until Rick decided to kick A to the ground. A jumped up and dodged Rick's next attack. He then punched Rick, making him stagger back. A went for another punch, but Rick caught his fist, grabbed his arm and flipped him. A cringed from the pain, opened his eyes, and rolled out of the way from a slash from Rick's sword.

A noticed that Rick had the upper hand in the brute strength department, so he stood still and began to concentrate. Rick noticed and charged at A, to see what would happen. Once he reached him, A shot his hand out and caught Rick's wrist. He tried to punch Rick and succeeded. Rick, however, shook the hit off and head-butted A. A tried to punch him again, but Rick caught the fist. Rick tried to punch A as well, but A did the same as him and caught the fist. They struggled against each other for a few moments until A ducked his head onto Rick's chest, under his spike, and lifted him into the air and slammed him to the ground.

While Rick was on the ground, A reached for his wooden sword and swung at Rick. Rick responded by pulling out one of his arm blades and blocking the wooden sword. Rick got up and said

"Now that's not a power." A smirked and responded

"Oh I know...from experience." Rick chuckled and swung his sword at A, who blocked it and returned the slash. Rick quickly blocked the hit and the two returned to trading blows. They soon got into a power struggle, and Rick spoke to him.

"You know, you have to be the strongest human I have ever faced." A grinned and replied

"Thanks. I've had a lot of training."

"Hmmm...is that so? Then let me test those skills of yours." Rick immediately grabbed A's wrist and pulled him into a head-butt. He began to swing at him, but A back flipped away and began to spread his legs apart and breathe deeply. Rick arched an eyebrow and ran towards him. A began to move around each swing; Rick went for a stab and A moved around it again and kicked him on the side of the head.

A saw that he landed a good hit on Rick and went for a winning shot. Rick, somehow, recovered and wormed his way away from the strike. He grabbed A's arm and began twisting it behind A's back. A's eyes widened and he shouted, both in pain and frustration.

"DAMN IT! NOT AGAIN!" ick's grip lightened up, and he asked

"Again?" After a moment, something clicked for him and he said

"Ooooh." A took what he remembered from his training and dropped his weapon. He then elbowed Rick in the stomach to make him let go. Rick bent forward from the hit and A took the opportunity to drive Rick's face to the ground. A jumped onto his back and began to twist Rick's arm.

"What goes around comes around!" Rick began to laugh, startling A.

"You honestly believe that this is a problem for me? If my hunch is correct, I've had this done on me more than you know."

"Wait...what?" Rick, despite A being on his back, jumped onto his feet. By this time A was extremely surprised. Rick suddenly shot forward, making A flip over him and fall on the ground. A rolled and grabbed his sword, which he had dropped. He faced Rick and saw him grab his sword and give him the 'bring it' taunt. A stood up and both fighters charged at each other. They clashed in the middle and knocked each other's swords off their hands. They immediate caught the swords in midair, spun around, and swung at each other again. Both swords met once more, but this time their clash was so strong that both wooden swords broke into pieces.

Rick and A looked at their broken swords and said in unison

"It's a draw!" Both of them shook hands and Rick said

"Incredible! No human has ever been able to keep up with me in a sword fight."

"You're not...bad yourself. Hell...you were awesome!" A said out of breath.

"You were really tough. If we had used powers, you would probably have won because of your huge ability pool."

"We're alike in a lot of ways."

"Yeah, but you're the Warlord for a reason."

"So tell me, who trained you?" A began to think of an answer, trying not to let Rick know that his mentor was an Arceus Knight.

"An associate of mines."

"By 'associate', you mean X, right?" A was surprised again.

"How...?" Rick laughed and interrupted.

"The old man trained me too, for a period of six months in a time chamber. I figured that he trained you because you used his sword techniques, and you just so happened to be referred to me by Arceus. I'm a student of X as well. How long was your training?"

"Six months, like you. I didn't know any of this."

"Neither did I." A voice suddenly came out of nowhere, one A recognized.

"Yeah, I probably should have explained." Both men looked at where the voice came from and saw X standing in the middle of the field. Rick chuckled and said

"Good to see you again X."

"Hello Aeru. Haven't seen you in about a month." X looked at A and asked him

"Now do you see why he's the Warlord? He knows what he's doing." A replied

"I never doubted that he wasn't the Warlord. I'm just so surprised on how he and his team are so laid back about such serious things." Rick replied to him

"We are. We just can't let a war scare us. We have lives to live, so we will live them." A thought quickly for a second. He couldn't say much in that regard. Most of his life since age ten had been devoted to defeating one criminal syndicate after another. Even when he wasn't, he was focusing hard on caring for his pokemon or looking toward the future. Relaxation was kind of a strange concept to A. However, he tried deflecting suspicion by saying

"Amen to that! Sorry, there's so much for me to take in and learn about this entire situation. Any advice?" Rick nodded and said

"Yeah, enjoy yourself. When the time comes to do what we need to do, then we will respond in the way we need to." X then said

"Aeru is right. There's a time to be a soldier, a time to be a leader, a time to be an ally, and a time to be an individual. There are no zombies here." X then thought about A's situation. "...I think. Not important. Anyways, I came to tell you that you should let Aeru teach you how to be a member of this society and that you should help him. Don't worry about anything that happens." A nodded and replied

"Alright. But what if I don't like something?" Rick responded to his question

"Then you talk to me about it." X nodded and added

"Exactly! You can also talk to me or Arceus. Point is that you're all in this together." A thought to himself for a second, realizing he was right.

"Alright. I understand. Thank you X."

"Anytime. Now Rick, you better get going. Your ceremony is going to begin in a few hours and you haven't even gotten ready yet." Rick's eyes shot open and he shouted

"Damn! Thanks X! Bye A!" Rick opened a strange portal and left. A was left with X and said to him

"I have to learn how to do that." X began to laugh at A's statement, then said

"Perhaps, perhaps." A gathered his thoughts for a second, then asked

"What ceremony?" X laughed and said

"Oh, it's his inauguration as Warlord." A remembered the conversation back in Rick's car, then said

"Oh, okay. Is everyone going to be there, or is it optional?" X snorted and said

"Well, it's not optional for him, but for most of the Sanctuary, it will be in high attendance. It's not mandatory, but it is rarely seen, and the inauguration represents something special for them, so it's kind of important to them. For those who can't make it, the whole thing will be televised." A's eyes widened and he said

"Wow, they installed television here? It never ceases to amaze me what they've accomplished." X chuckled and told him

"Well, they've had a long time to work on it. If I'm not mistaken, you should be getting something soon. By the way, you should name your sword already; the rest of the Knights have named weapons. It would look strange if you were the only one who didn't."

He disappeared before A could ask anything. A bit irritated, he walked back to the mansion to speak with Rose, hopefully get a little input on his battle against the Warlord. When he walked into the house, however, he saw a group of his pokemon standing around something. A pushed forward and asked

"What's going on, guys?" Rose stepped forward holding a suit. A frowned in confusion and asked

"Where'd you find that?"

"A guard just delivered it. Evidently, it's from Lady Alara, the daughter of the Chief." A thought back and added

"She's also the Warlord's fiancée if I remember correctly." Rose nodded and handed it over to him. A stood in front of a mirror and placed it generally over his body. It looked like it was a good fit, and A thought either Lady Alara had a very good eye and memory, or was just very lucky. He didn't really think either was correct, but it didn't matter much anyway. He remembered where the obelisk was, so he would allow Rose to peer into his mind for the location. She could share it with her fellows and they could do a mass teleporting, or at least those who wanted to attend.

A couple of hours later saw A well dressed in the crisp, clean suit. He had kept his belt, though, and re-lipped his badge and sword to it. He wanted to keep the badge in case they came across Rocket grunts he could rescue, and the sword just in case.

As he handled the blade, though, he thought about X's last statement. He had heard quite often about naming a sword, but he had never had a weapon before. He didn't count pokemon, who were living and breathing and thinking beings. Rose stepped in and said

"Wow, look at you! I imagine you could be quite the lady-killer." A laughed and turned to her, saying

"Thanks. That's quite a compliment. But something's bugging me at the moment."

"What is it, Alpha?" He huffed and said

"X told me I should name my sword. He also said that all the other Knights, my brethren, have named weapons, and it would be strange if I was an exception." Rose thought for a second, then said

"Well, the idea's interesting. Why don't you?"

"Well, it's not so much that I can't or don't want to, I just don't know what I should name it. I've never been very good at it, which is why some of you don't have names beyond your species." Rose contemplated that for a minute, then said

"Why don't you make it a reflection of who you are and what you stand for? Namely the protector, the guardian, the _savior_ of pokemon everywhere." The name there clicked in A's mind. He motioned for Rose to keep silent for a moment, then went over the name in his mind some more. After much deliberation, he drew his blade and lifted it in front of his face. He said

"I have made my decision. Sword, I name you Savior." It felt a bit ridiculous to say it like that, but after he did he felt a deeper connection with the sword, and it seemed like something had been unlocked. What, exactly, he was not sure. But something was definitely different between both the sword and him. Shrugging, he returned it to its sheath and said

"Okay, who else is traveling with us?" Rose shook her head and told him

"They don't want to cause a scene by being the size they are, as well as being out of place for most of them. So the only ones going are you, me, and Loran. He wants the chance to meet up with others like him, and I couldn't deny him that." A shook his head and said

"Nor would I. All right, then, let's find him and get going. Here, before we go, touch my mind; I'll give you the location so you can just teleport there." Rose nodded and searched his mind. Once she found and understood the area, she opened her eyes and said

"Okay, let's find my mate and head out." As it turned out, he wasn't far behind Rose. They held tightly together and Rose's eyes flashed white. Before they knew it, they were aboveground once more. Rose's grip weakened and she would have fallen over if Loran hadn't immediately grabbed and steadied her. A asked

"You alright?" She nodded and said

"I'll be fine. Go ahead, enjoy yourself. We'll find you once this is over." A nodded and walked around, occasionally receiving a glance from a Gardevoir or a Gallade. Most of the Gardevoirs were fixated by his badge, whereas the Gallade were more focused on Savior. A laughed inwardly and continued walking around. He got near the front and could see Rick upon the stage, wearing what looked like a ceremonial suit for his specific status. A Gardevoir next to him, which he quickly recognized as Lady Alara, was wearing a gorgeous dress and talking to him. A smirked and decided to use his abilities to have a bit of fun.

He disappeared, taking some of the pokemon nearest him by surprise, and appeared behind Rick and Alara, apparently without their notice. Right as he appeared, they were laughing over something and soon began kissing. A smiled, and after giving them a minute, he said

"Isn't that sweet? I hope I'm not too late." Rick and Alara turned around and saw A standing on the balcony with them, wearing his suit. Rick immediately walked up to him and shook his hand, saying

"Good to see you again. Nice suit!" A smiled and said

"Thanks. Your mate had it sent over." Rick looked at Alara and she explained herself.

"I didn't know if he had one for the ceremony, so I had one sent to him. I love that it fits him perfectly." They began to chat as they waited for the ceremony to begin. It took another ten minutes until a couple of Gallade arrived. Then another ten for Rick's team to arrive so they could begin the ceremony. A walked to his seat and sat down. The Blaziken he had seen with him earlier approached him and began speaking with him. From what A had gathered earlier, the Blaziken was nothing more than an oversized goofball, but something about him was still unsettling to A. Maybe he would confront the issue later on.

The Blaziken walked over and sat next to an Espeon. Then the Umbreon he had seen before walked up to Rick at his request, and A felt the stab of loss again.

"_Damn it," _he thought to himself _"why couldn't I have taken the time to grieve when I should have? Of course, everything else beyond training was completely driven from my mind, and in reality the situation is no different from yesterday, but still."_

The horrible memories he had of his former home arose again, and he was cursing loudly in his head. A Gardevoir next to him looked at him and asked

"I'm sorry, but can you stop doing that? It's kind of distracting." A said nothing, but his sorrow made way for a bit of anger. He avoided a confrontation by attempting to clear his mind of these thoughts that plagued him. He succeeded somewhat and returned his attention to the Gardevoir, who nodded and said

"Thank you." Rick was knighted officially into his position by the Queen, then Rick began his speech, and he tried with a funny quip. It got a reaction from the rest of the Sanctuary, but the humor was lost on A due to his grief, and the fact he had no idea what the hell he was referring to. He imagined it was some sort of movie, but A had never been much of a TV watcher. After his experience in Orre, the TV only ever brought bad news.

The speech he gave was long but eloquent. Maybe some of the material had been a bit overused, but overall the effect gave an impression of power and confidence, which was well-received by the citizens of the Sanctuary. When it was over, A sought out Rose, hoping to escape as soon as possible.

Soon he met up with her. She had a questioning look on her face, and after touching his mind, she nearly cursed and shouted for Loran. He appeared quickly and she teleported them back to their den. They appeared in the back yard and Loran rushed Rose inside to rest and recover. A stayed out on the other hand, and he fingered the pommel of Savior.

After ten minutes of standing there, he yanked Savior out of its sheath and summoned the power of earth. Then he pointed into the training area and made a multitude of earthen puppets rise out. He took a deep breath, then charged forward and began slashing like a madman, trying to vent out all his rage, his frustration, but most of all, his grief. He hated being separated from Umbra like that, but he knew there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. So he did the only thing he could think of; destroying whatever caused him anguish.

He had shaped some of the puppets, mostly to resemble most people's depictions of the grim reaper. He enjoyed hacking these apart, and whenever he ran out, he created more and started anew. After about an hour of it, though, he was panting and sweating heavily. He couldn't raise his arms anymore, so he sank to the ground and gave in to his grief. He knelt, crying for the loss of his first best friend. The first friend that had stuck with him through thick and thin, always caring for him and being cared by him.

He remembered the day he returned to Orre from Kanto to find him a struggling but loving father. How he had then offered his oldest friend help in raising them, and his acceptance and conditions for it. When his children had been evolved, one by one, he was there for them and showered his praises. Then finally that last, hated day, when he had to go.

All this and more A thought about as he sunk ever lower into his crushing despair, and he figured this was more or less how Mew felt when she lost her children to that meteor, but perhaps on a far larger scale. Eventually he just slumped over and fell asleep on the ground due to his exhaustion, physical, mental, but most prominently, emotional.

**And that ends the beginning chapter of the number thirty. Review soon and give me your thoughts!**


	31. Ch 31: Unleash Your Power!

**Hoo boy, these just keep on coming, don't they? ;p Anyway, I've been noticing a distinct lack of reviews for this story, and I find that discouraging. It's not too much trouble to ask for some reviews, is it? Come on, I want to hit a hundred with this! Well, maybe the next few chapters will convince you.**

A woke up on the ground, roused by the gentle shaking of his shoulder.

"Alpha? Are you alright? What are you doing just lying out here? You could catch your death of cold!"

A groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked over the mess he had made last night and murmured

"At this point, I'm thinking death would be a blessing."

"What?!" gasped Rose, horrified by what he had just said. A rolled his eyes and said

"Never mind, I don't mean it. I'm just not really awake yet."

But that was a lie. He was very much awake, and contemplating whether accepting this position was a good idea or not. Sure, he got to stay with his friends, but they were dying off. He got to save pokemon, but there would be plenty it would be too late to save, or that he had missed and would continue to suffer as a result.

He sighed and stood up, brushing the dust off his ceremonial suit which he had not taken off yet. His body was sore, but he stretched it out. Then he walked inside to change into his regular outfit and get some breakfast. He looked up at the clock and noticed it was almost nine. He cursed himself silently and went into his bedroom to change. Once he had, he exited his room and went straight to the kitchen, occasionally exchanging greetings with some of his pokemon. He grabbed a sandwich, not really having an appetite right now, and went back outside and sat on a bench.

He looked up at the ceiling of his den and sighed, then took a small bite of his food. He slowly chewed it, and after he swallowed decided he didn't really want breakfast after all. He set the sandwich aside, thinking he could offer it to one of his pokemon if they passed by. He heard the back door open and close, and there were soft footsteps. Soon Rose joined him on the bench, and she asked

"Alpha, are you alright?"

A knew he couldn't hide anything from her, so he shook his head.

"What's wrong?"

A sighed and told her

"I don't want to go into it right now, okay? I just… need some time to think to myself."

Rose nodded, then stood and left A alone with his thoughts. They swirled around, having no discernible path or pattern, and eventually it became too much. He rose and called out in general

"If anybody needs me, I'll be visiting the girls at the hospital!"

He didn't wait for a response but instead turned and began walking. Along the way, he noticed a little red blot near some of the trees, and further inspection revealed it to be Lexi. A smiled and walked over to her, asking

"Hey Lexi, how's it going?"

The little vulpine looked up at him and began wagging her six tails, saying

"Okay so far, but I'm getting kind of bored here. I want to explore this place."

After a moment of hesitation, in which she hung her head, she said

"I also miss my mother. I really want to see her again, and you said you would get me back to her."

A smiled, then bent to pick her up gently, scratching her behind the ear and replying

"And I will. Right now I have an obligation to Arceus to help the Warlord of this Sanctuary win this war we're in right now, and if I fail to do so, not only will Arceus be disappointed with me, it could drastically change the future we live in. Whenever we finish here, we'll be returned to our proper time and it will be as if we never left. When we do return, I'll head back to Kanto and we'll search for your family, alright?"

The Vulpix just nodded, then settled more comfortably in his arms. A smiled, remembering how Umbra would often do that in the late of night. Hard as it would be to believe, Umbra was actually terrified of the dark, and being in Orre, where electricity was rather limited, didn't help. On their reign against Cipher, they had spent many a night sleeping near the road, which didn't often have travelers. As a result, they were effectively isolated. The reason Umbra had evolved into an Umbreon was because they're friendship grew exponentially while Michael held him in the night. The rest just followed.

A soon walked into the hospital and up to the counter, where he saw, much to his expectation, a Gardevoir typing away at a computer. She glanced up and smiled, saying telepathically

"_May I help you?"_

A smirked and said

"I can understand you if you talk. And yes, I'm here to check up on my pokemon."

The Gardevoir's eyebrows had risen at his statement, but she looked at her computer for a moment, then picked up a phone and said

"Doctor Shane to the front office, please."

She hung up the phone and looked back up at A, smiling and saying

"He'll be with you shortly."

A nodded his head and said

"Thank you."

The Gardevoir nodded and went back to her typing, while A stood off to the side, scratching Lexi's ear and waiting. Soon, a shiny Gallade walked through the double doors that led to the rooms held for patients. He walked up to A and said

"You're here to check on the expectants, right?"

A nodded and the doctor turned, saying

"This way, please."

A followed him through the doors and down the hall a ways, entering a door about ten feet down on the right. A followed and saw Mia in a large tank of water, lying happily coiled up. When she saw A step in, though, she quickly unfurled and pushed her head out of the top of the tank, saying in a majestic voice

"Hello, A! I'm glad to see you again!"

A chuckled and replied

"I'm happy to see you, too, Mia. How's pregnancy treating you?"

She blushed a bit and said

"Well, it was hell in the beginning, but things have improved."

A nodded, then looked at Doctor Shane and asked

"What's her status?"

The Gallade looked at a chart he had brought with him and flipped through some papers, then said

"She's nearly into her second trimester, good condition."

A nodded and said

"Who's the father?"

The doctor shrugged and said

"She's been rather secretive about that."

A's eyebrow lifted in Mia's direction, and she blushed, then dove back under the water. The doctor sighed and told A

"That's how she was being secretive. We can communicate with her mind, but she just won't answer back. And we have a policy that says we do not pull information from the patient's mind unless we have no other recourse."

A nodded, happy with that policy. From there, he checked on his other interned pokemon, and they were all in good condition, providing A with a measure of relief. The Gallade noticed his relaxing posture and said

"You know, you shouldn't let your stress build up like that, it's not healthy."

A was becoming irritated, but he pushed it back and nodded. After visiting his pokemon, he left the hospital. He let Lexi down so she could run off and find Woof. The massive dog had become like a father to her, which pleased A. But he knew that wouldn't last very long since Lexi wanted to find her mother.

A pushed the thought to the back of his head, to be pondered at a later time. Suddenly, two Gallade pooped up in front of him and bowed their heads. At that point, Rose and Loran, who had been taking a stroll around the den, walked up and joined him by his side, ready to defend him if need be.

"Can I help you?" asked A. One of the guards nodded and said

"Warlord Aeruthael has summoned you to take a trip on the S.A. Mercury. Lady Aldira gave us this teleporter to hand to you. It will take you straight there."

He handed a small machine with a button to A, who accepted it and asked

"Am I supposed to report there now?"

The other guard nodded, then they both saluted him and teleported away. A looked over the little thing briefly before turning to Rose and Loran, saying

"Whattya guys say? Wanna go for a ride?"

Rose motioned toward him and said

"But I thought you didn't like the aircraft?"

A shrugged and replied

"I don't like the firepower it's carrying. Other than that, I don't see a problem. Besides, I could use a little fresh air. So, want to go?"

After a moment of deliberation, they both nodded. A pushed the button on the machine, and a small portal erupted from it. After letting the two Ralts evolutions go before him, A stepped into the portal and was transported into a room filled with knobs, buttons and flashing lights. A feminine voice he couldn't place began to speak to him, asking

"You are the one who goes by the name of A, correct?"

A searched around him, as did Rose and Loran, but he could not find anybody. Finally he answered

"Yes, I am, but who are you?"

A soft laugh emanated from nowhere and the voice replied

"I am D.A.S.I., or Defense Assault Security Intelligence for short. You are wanted on the bridge. Take that transporter by the door, then grab the one to your left after you exit this one. It will take you straight to the bridge."

A nodded dumbly, then thanked her and walked to the afore-mentioned transporter. Five minutes later, A stepped out, with his pokemon shortly behind him, on the bridge. He saw Rick's team and Alara with him, give or take a few, and focused on the pilot's words.

He was fiddling with some holographic projector but turned around and smiled when he saw the motley crew enter the bridge.

"Hey guys, right on time. We're ready to go" he said, and A had contemplated something, then asked

"How does the Mercury leave this hangar? I never saw an opening of any kind." The Gallade turned to him and answered

"The opening is on the roof." The Gallade pressed a button on his console and said

"This is Screech. We are ready to take off. Permission to open the exit hatch?"

He received a reply after a brief amount of static.

"Permission granted! Opening exit hatch! Take care Mercury and congratulations on your maiden voyage."

"Acknowledged! Preparing to rise once the hatch opens."

Rick became curious and asked

"Where exactly is this hangar located?"

Screech replied,

"We're found in an underwater hangar. We're actually underneath the ocean South of the Sanctuary. The hatch is actually raised so that water doesn't fall in here."

"I never thought that I'll say this, but..." he turned to Xeron and said "you're a genius."

Xeron shrugged his shoulders and replied

"I don't know what to say besides...I'm great!"

"You were going to say something else, weren't you?" Rick asked skeptically. Xeron chuckled and replied

"Yes, but Maiyu's here."

Everyone laughed and then they head Screech say

"Sorry to interrupt the laughter, but we're rising."

Everyone stopped laughing and immediately looked out the windows and saw the long tube that led to the opening hatch. Soon the Mercury emerged from the ocean hatch and everyone saw the forest where the Sanctuary was located.

Rick asked Alara

"If we're in a forest, why can I only see a gigantic clearing and no trees?"

Alara answered

"Those trees are psychic illusions. It keeps the Sanctuary hidden. Like the barrier, you can't see it."

A had to admit, that was genius, and since it didn't require any machines, it was completely clean, though that meant little since there were no actual trees around. Rick replied

"Nice! A cloaking system..."

He stopped to think of something and asked Screech

"Wait, won't people be frightened by a giant warship flying over their city?"

Screech shook his head and replied

"Nope! We have the Silph Co. logo on the side. Also, outside of combat this looks like a company super jet. So people aren't afraid of it."

"That will be pretty hard of an image to keep up with blasters all over the ship" Rick pointed out, a sentiment A agreed with.

"Don't worry. When we're on travel mode the weapons are hidden. It just looks like we're cruising."

"Alright, my fears are put to rest" Rick said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Good to know. So are we going to hover motionless in the air, or are you going to do the honors and press the launch button?"

Rick appeared shocked and said

"Oh? I didn't know I had to do that." He looked at someone A could quite see.

"Actually, I'll let my baby cousin launch the Mercury's maiden voyage. Go ahead Maiyu!"

Alara smiled at Rick and placed a little Kirlia on the floor. She walked up to the control console and pressed the launch button. The ship suddenly took off quickly, where A did not know, or really care, for that matter.

Screech laughed and shouted

"BONZAI! We're off! Okay guys, you can leave the flying to me and DASI. Go ahead and explore the ship if you want."

Everyone nodded and got back into the transporters. However, this time everyone set out to different locations. A shot off toward the deck, and when they arrived, A took a deep breath of the fresh air, appreciating getting out of the den for at least a little while. Rose and Loran walked off together and sat on a piece of furniture that was bolted to the deck and began cuddling. A smiled, then walked over to the other end to give them their privacy. He looked out over the landscape and marveled at the beauty of the land.

Soon, though, he saw a barren area that reminded him of the deserts of Orre, which pained him to think about. He quickly tried to pivot his thoughts in another direction, but once they landed on his conversation with Rose yesterday, he couldn't stop. He remembered his words to her;

"_I haven't really celebrated anything family-oriented in quite a while, except occasionally with you guys. And I've never paid attention to the lesser holidays, least of all Valentines."_

"_Why is that?" _he asked himself. Then the answer came to him and he felt a stab of pain shoot through his heart, collecting in the growing pit of despair he had been subjected to ever since Blitz's death.

"Green…" he muttered out loud, wishing he hadn't been such a coward then.

"Thinking hard?" a voice asked him.

A snapped back to reality and looked back at Rick

"Oh...hey sir" A said in a rather dejected tone. Rick looked at him in concern and asked

"Are you alright A?" A nodded and replied

"Yeah, just thinking of a few old friends. Nothing to concern yourself with. So how can I help you?"

Rick leaned on the rail of the edge with A and responded

"Nothing really. I just wanted to take my two ladies to the deck to get some fresh air."

A looked at Alara and the little Kirlia and said

"So I've noticed." He concentrated his sights on the Kirlia, since he never saw her very well until that point.

"Who's the little one?" he asked. Rick responded.

"That's my baby cousin Maiyu. She's only five years old and is very close to me and Alara."

A turned around and walked over to Maiyu, who hid behind the skirt of Alara's dress. A smiled lightly and said softly

"Aww, it's okay little one. I'm not going to hurt you."

Maiyu stayed hidden behind Alara and Alara apologized for Maiyu.

"I'm sorry. She has a hard time trusting humans. She has a fear of them."

A raised an eyebrow and wondered if she had been an attempted capture at the hands of a greedy human, perhaps like the one he had saved from Rose back in Hoenn.

"Is that so?" He turned to her and softly said

"Don't worry. I'm not a mean human. I won't try to catch you. You can trust me." He stuck out his hand in her direction, showing he was hiding nothing. Maiyu inched her way from Alara's skirt and reached a tiny hand to touch A's hand, slowly. When she touched it she felt a wave of emotions from him, mainly depressing emotions and she gasped while pulling her hand back.

She then looked at A and asked quietly

"You're sad, aren't you? You lost a friend...maybe two."

A flinched in shock, then tried to make up for it.

"How did you...? Don't worry, I'm not sad." He put on the most convincing smile he could and said

"See? I'm happy." She shook her head and told him

"You can't hide your emotions from me. You're an open book to me."

A slowly rose back to his feet and looked at the little Kirlia with amazement and fear. Rick then intervened and said

"Alright Maiyu, that's enough for now. Go with Alara and play on the deck for a while. But be very careful."

Maiyu gave Rick a thumbs up and skipped away with Alara following her closely. Rick sat down on a bench and asked A

"Is something bothering you now?" A shook his head quickly and replied

"No, I'm fine really." Rick gave him a skeptical look, saying

"You can't hide your emotions from the children of my species. Their powers are still developing, so they involuntarily have powers surges. Their psychic power is unrestrained and so they can dig in deeper into your psyche. If she said that something is bothering you, then I believe her."

A sighed and relented.

"Alright, I have a lot on my mind, but I can deal with it alone. If you don't mind that is." Rick bowed his head and replied

"You have your own rights. I won't get involved if you don't want me to."

"Thank you." Rick nodded but added

"But it's not healthy to keep all that in."

A remembered the advice from Doctor Shane, and it irritated him that those younger than him would try and tell him this as if he didn't know. He responded in an annoyed tone

"I'm well aware of the risks, thank you!" Rick held up his hands defensively and said

"Sorry. I'll be on my way. I need to look after my little cousin. Try to relax a bit."

"I'll try...huh?"

Something off the edge of the railing to the deck caught A's attention. Rick ran up beside him and observed what appeared to A as a massive bird; it was easily 250 feet long and probably 75 feet wide. It had a long graceful tail with a mace-like end, a hawk-like beak with visibly sharp teeth within it. Its plumage was grey and white. The talons were monstrous in size, it had spine-like protrusions on its back, and four glowing sigils. Rick looked at it and immediately identified it.

Screech's voice rang out on Rick's and A's ears.

"Sir! We have a situation!"

Rick replied to Screech

"Yeah I think I see the situation...and it's huge!" After looking it over for another moment, Rick shouted

"Guys! It's Titan Avion!"

Confused, A asked Rick

"What's a Titan?" Rick responded

"A Titan is a former Rocket Colossus that managed to evolve. There are very few." A frowned and asked

"What's a Colossus?"

Rick shouted in frustration and said

"I don't have the time to explain this to you!"

Screech sent Rick a message;

"Should we engage it?"

"YES! It's here to kill us!"

He scoffed and said to himself, but so that A could hear

"So you want to make this war official, do you Giovanni? Well I'm right here. Come and get me!"

Alara saw the Titan and said to Rick

"Rick, I'm taking Maiyu inside." Rick nodded emphatically and said

"Yeah, keep her in there. I don't want any of you out here during the fight."

Alara nodded and carried Maiyu as she ran for the door. The Titan noticed them and flew higher into the air and whipped its tail at them. A automatically rushed forward and vanished, appearing behind them just before the tail hit them and disappeared with them in tow. He appeared, briefly panting, by the elevator. A noticed Rick's posture and expression, and he called out to get his attention.

"Don't worry, I got them just in time!"

Rick breathed a sigh of relief, his posture relaxed and he said

"Nice work! Thank you so much A."

"No problem."

He turned to the girls and told them

"Go on inside. I'll stop whatever that thing pulls."

Alara nodded and ran into the elevator, while A ordered Rose and her mate inside as well. He wouldn't have them getting hurt, and there was no way they could take on something this size anyway. The Titan didn't attack this time, instead it began to fly around the Mercury, giving a monstrous shriek.

Screech contacted Rick again, but A heard everything on his earpiece.

"Sir, I'm going into combat mode. Do I engage?"

Rick replied

"Yes, but you have to aim for those glowing sigils."

"Why?"

"By destroying the sigils you destroy its immortality. So once they're destroyed go ahead and end its life."

"Looks like we're going to have quite the fight. Look out!" A had drawn his sword and began lobbing fireballs at it, hoping to cause it some form of distraction, as the Titan was sweeping down trying to get Rick with its talons. He jumped out of the way and watched A attack the beast. They suddenly heard a mechanical sound and looked to where it was coming from. What they saw was the Mercury change shape. All of its weapons became visible, it looked sharper than usual, and it became more steel plated.

"_Hmm, this is beginning to get dangerous." _A thought to himself. Then he heard Rick talking, but he used names he didn't recognize. He turned to him and saw Rick speaking to his sword, which appeared different than either its regular form or the form it assumed when Sovereign was introduced. Confused, A asked Rick

"Why are you talking to your sword? It's not going to reply to you."

Rick laughed and asked A

"You mean to tell me that you can't talk to your sword? My sword has an actually spirit within it. I suspect that yours does too. Want to talk to mine?"

Shocked beyond belief, even forgetting they were under attack, A said

"What?!"

Rick sighed and said to his blade

"Twilight, Dusk, make yourselves known."

A female voice sounded off in A's head.

"Alright! What's up mortal!?"

A was taken a back and then said

"What are you?"

"I'm a sword spirit called Twilight. You can call me Arceus' daughter if you want. He created me with his own hand."

Thinking it over for a moment, A asked

"Can I talk to my sword?" The voice, Twilight, answered

"It depends on your relationship with your sword. Can't you hear it talking to you?" A shook his head and said

"No."

"I mean like right now. It's speaking to you."

A was taken aback. He looked at his sword and tried raising it to his ear to see if he could hear it, but with no success.

"No, I can't."

"Then you must not be very close to your sword. I give it a few more months. Anyways, get your heads out of your asses and get back to this fight. I can only stop time for a short time."

Rick was confused, as was A.

"Huh?" They looked at the Titan and saw it stopped in midair and the Mercury as well. Soon a ripple appeared and everything restarted again.

"Okay no more dilly-dallying. Let's beat this thing! Twilight, I hope you know what you're talking about."

A focused on the beast coming for them now that Twilight had left his head. Then Rick shouted out

"Gotcha! Now come on Avion!"

The Titan flew back towards Rick, but the Mercury began to fire at it, making it change its tactic. Avion flew around the Mercury, dodging artillery fire from the cannons and turrets. The gigantic bird then charged a beam into its mouth and fired it at the Mercury, hitting it, and making it shake. A hoped the ship was resilient enough to last the assault while he and Rick tried to chase it off or kill it. Hopefully the rest of Rick's team would arrive to help.

Soon, about five minutes in, the rest of Rick's team arrived and began to open fire at will. Unfortunately, hitting it was proving difficult for them and the Mercury crew. Screech sent Rick a message;

"Sir, that thing is just too fast to hit. We can't get a lock on it. We need to find a way to make it hold still, but here that's nearly impossible." Rick nodded his head and replied

"Acknowledged. Then get us close enough so that we can jump on the damn thing."

Screech was obviously surprised as he asked

"Sir?"

"You heard me. Don't worry, this isn't my first rodeo." Screech replied hesitantly

"Alright, but that's also hard since it's moving so sporadically." Rick nodded again and said

"Whenever you can."

Rick turned his attention back to the fight and saw his mom and dad arrive. Xeron seemed bored over the whole situation.

Xeron said to Rick

"Wow you can't hit that thing? Watch and learn kid."

Xeron pulled out his own Shadowbane and took aim. He then swung his blade and a psychic blade went flying into the air and maneuvered through the air until it hit the Titan in the head. A was impressed and Rick chuckled.

"You love to show off."

Then A started firing off bolts of lightning, hoping to paralyze the gigantic bird, but everything he shot so far missed, masking him grind his teeth in frustration. Rick began to fire at the Titan using a machine gun that Jean brought from the armory. The bullets were connecting, but they were only aggravating the beast. Avion gave another shriek and flew higher into the air and whipped its tail at Rick. Rick dodged the attack and rolled back into a firing position. Avion tried another tail attack and this time it destroyed a turret that Jean was firing from, failing to kill the Blaziken who was using it however. A returned his attention to the immediate battle after being sure the Blaziken was alive and began firing more bolts of electricity.

The tail came for them again and everyone dodged it. Then Rick ran toward it and grabbed on, beginning to climb up the tail. The whole team stopped firing directly at the massive bird and instead began firing around it to deflect its attention from him. A fired bolts of lightning, balls of fire, and gusts of wind from his sword, opting to aim toward its head. Suddenly A received a message from Rick in his ear.

"Guys, I'm taking down a sigil. When I hit it Avion will be stunned for a second. Hit the sigil on its chest."

A watched as Rick lifted his dark sword and plunged it on the base of the Titan's tail. The beast roared and reared up, revealing a glowing symbol on its chest, where Rick had indicated. The teenage girl A remembered from the Chief's Court, Serenity he believed, raised a rocket launcher and locked on its chest, firing quickly. It struck, destroying the symbol with a faint flash. A was about to congratulate her when the bird shrieked loudly, then charged a glowing beam in its mouth. It fired the beam in Serenity's direction and A quickly erected a psychic shield to block it with his sword.

The blast was so immense it knocked them both back, and A smacked his head against the deck, causing his vision to flicker and spots to appear. For a while he was disoriented, and he fought to clear his vision. There was also a persistent ringing in his ears, one that sounded somewhat like a male voice. A shook his head to clear it away, but it came right back.

He felt a massive vibration shudder through the deck of the ship, and when A raised his head, he saw the beast had landed on the deck and was advancing on them. He shook his head one more time, then started to support himself. He watched as the Titan knocked the Blaziken into a wall, knocking him out. He stared and hissed at a Gardevoir A quickly realized was Alara!

He stood up and began to rush the bird, preparing an electric attack, but the bird noticed him and slammed his tail into A, pinning him against the wall. A furiously pushed against the beast's maced tail, but to no avail. He watched in horror as the Titan lowered its head to Alara's level and began to charge another beam. A was now nearly panicking.

"_An attack of that size and power point-blank will kill her!"_

He charged an electric attack and slammed it against the tail, but it twitched in response, pinning him even harder. He couldn't disappear and reappear because he had no momentum, and while stuck here he was unable to gain any. He watched and almost closed his eyes when the beam fired, but Rick suddenly appeared with some black aura emanating from him. A heard Rick suddenly let out a monstrous roar. He saw Shadowbane covered in a black energy and then saw Rick swing it again, launching another blade it. Avion staggered back at the hit and Rick went forward and charged black energy into his blades.

He shouted something unintelligible to A and fired black blades from his elbow swords. The beast fell off the Mercury, offsetting its balance a bit. The bird began flying again and tailed them. A heard a fair amount of static in his ear, and upon pulling the earpiece out, he saw one of the wires was detached. He tossed it aside since it was useless and rose to his feet, his abdomen screaming in protest. He ignored the pain and watched as the Titan charged and fired another beam, which Rick caught and used to form a whip.

At that point, Rose touched his mind in panic and shouted

"_Alpha, what's going on?!"_

"_The thing that's attacking us is being pushed back by Rick! What happened to Maiyu?"_

"_The poor dear is terrified! Lady Alara asked me to watch over her while she went to aid you in battle, but right now she is panicking, worried that we might all die!"_

A felt a massive power rush flow through him, and a voice, the same voice, but a bit more distinct this time, whispered in his mind

"_Unleash your power…"_

He growled loudly, then raised his sword and charged an abnormally powerful electric attack. Never would he allow a child, human or pokemon, to come to harm, least of all to die. He shouted out

"I've had enough!" and unleashed the attack. When the sword was brought down, A could hear a sound akin to a thunderclap. The blade he held was brimming with electricity, and when it fired it looked like one of his electric-type's Thunders, but thicker and more powerful. It struck the bird head-on and paralyzed it. A could tell that by the strains it now gave to flap its wings. He looked back down at the sword, which still had crackles of electricity running on it.

Rick rushed forward and jumped onto the Titan, hanging on tight somehow. He stabbed one of the glowing symbols on the beast's right wing, then lunged all the way to the other side and destroyed the other. The beast roared in pain, then Rick summoned his light blade, Sovereign, to his hand. He jabbed both blades into the Titan's back and caused it to dive toward the ground.

A sprinted forward, ignoring his pains, and summoned the power of wind, He whirled the sword around himself and began flying, controlling his path with directions from his sword. He dove-bombed after Rick and the Titan, and he watched as Rick used the chains that connected his swords to pull the Titan onto an obelisk that had a massive point, spearing the creature and killing it. A slowed his descent and landed next to Rick.

Rick turned to A and said wearily

"Thanks for that electric attack, A."

A stopped to look at the dead Titan and nodded, saying

"You're welcome, but where did this new strength come from? And why didn't you use it before?" Rick took a deep breath and responded

"I went Alpha. It's a form that I can only use when I get furious. It turns me temporarily into a monster of incredible power. It doesn't last long though." A observed him for a moment, then said

"You're still in that state."

Rick looked himself over and said

"So I noticed."

A frowned at the pitch of his voice and asked

"What's wrong with your voice?"

"It's an effect of the form."

"Alright then. So it's over?" Rick nodded and replied

"Yeah. Can I ask what that was? The attack I mean." A thought for a second, then shook his head and told him

"I have no idea. Once I regained my composure from being pinned to the wall...I snapped and fired that attack."

"Oh well, we all fought well."

Rick and A suddenly heard the Mercury hovering over them. They also heard a sound coming from the corpse of Avion. When they looked they saw Avion give a final grunt and begin to disintegrate. Avion soon disintegrated into a gem that was shaped like a pair of wings. Rick walked over and picked it up. He examined it and saw that it was made out of crystal.

A asked

"What's that?"

Rick replied

"It's a gem. However, I've never heard of these things appearing when a Titan dies."

Xeron suddenly appeared with Aldira and Alara and said

"That's because that's what happens when you kill a behemoth with Shadowbane or Sovereign. They become a Titan Seal." Rick frowned and said

"But Arceus didn't create the Titans."

"Who told you that?" Xeron asked.

"Giovanni. He told me that Team Rocket created the Titans." Xeron wagged a finger and said

"False. Giovanni created the Rocket Colossi. Arceus created the actual Titans." Rick cocked his head, then asked

"What was Avion?"

"Avion is a captured Titan that Team Rocket captured." Rick shook his head in confusion and said

"This makes no sense to me. How are there Titans and I have never seen a wild Titan?"

"Because they live in certain locations and they are very few. They are protectors of the areas they live in. Avion protected the sky around the Mt. Silver range, which explains why we encountered it here, and Team Rocket managed to catch it. From Avion they were able to find a way to create the Rocket Colossi. However the Colossi aren't as big. Team Rocket only has three of the Titans."

"That's a lot to take in. I'll process it later. For now, can you explain this Titan Seal?"

"Throw it into the air and slice it."

Both A and Rick were confused, but Rick ventured out and asked

"What?"

"You heard me."

Rick looked at A, then shrugged and grabbed hold of the Titan Seal and threw it into the air. He jumped up and sliced it with Shadowbane. The gem shattered and a bright light appeared where the Seal was sliced. The light took the shape of the same symbol as the Seal itself. Suddenly the light took a gigantic shape and Avion reappeared, scaring the team, except for Xeron and Aldira. Rick landed on the ground and took a battle position, as did A.

Xeron laughed and said

"Calm down! It's not going to hurt you."

Aldira smiled and walked up to Avion and began to pet it. Avion lowered its beak and Aldira pet it as well. She then laughed and said

"See? Harmless."

Rick was confused.

"How?"

Aldira smiled and said

"Look at your hand dear."

Rick looked at his right palm and saw the same symbols as Avion's Titan Seal.

"What the hell?"

Aldira explained

"You now command Avion. Avion is yours to be summoned and used."

"How?"

"Arceus made it that if anyone with a legendary weapon kills a Titan, they and whoever they allow, will possess the Titans that they defeated."

Rick tried to see if he caught all of the information that he was just told.

"So if I kill a Titan with Shadowbane or Sovereign, I will become the master of the defeated Titan?"

"Exactly!"

"Was dad ever a master of a Titan?"

"Yes, he owned a Titan by the name of Fyrex. It was a dragon Titan. Once a Titan's master dies, the Titan is released back into the world, to face its next master."

"So Fyrex is still out there?"

"Yes, it's waiting to face its next challenger."

"Where is he found?"

"We can't tell you; you have to find Fyrex on your own. Also, who told you that because it's powerful that it's immediately a male? SHE is powerful and SHE'S a girl."

"Okay cool it mom!"

He turned his attention to Avion.

"So you're my Titan now, huh?"

Avion nodded its head.

"Alright then..." Rick quickly jumped onto Avion's back. "Then let's head back to the Mercury and continue this adventure."

Avion this time gave an excited shriek and lowered its head so that the others could get on its back.

Xeron laughed and said, "All aboard! Only problem is that this thing doesn't come with seat belts. Hold on!"

Avion took off and was quickly in the air above the Mercury. It suddenly landed, scaring the rest of the team who were still on the deck.

Xeron suddenly jumped off of Avion's back and said, "Sup bitches!"

Rick then pocked his head out of the side and the team saw him.

Anna asked Rick,

"Bro, you do realize that you're riding on that thing?"

Rick smiled and said,

"Yeah! Isn't it awesome? Turns out that since I killed a Titan with Shadowbane and Sovereign, I now own it."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously!"

Rick jumped off Avion and caught Alara as she jumped off. A jumped off on the other side and began looking up at the bird, thinking hard. Rick turned to his dad and asked

"How do I recall Avion?"

Xeron replied

"Just call it back in any way you want."

"Alright. Avion return!" Avion then began to glow and the symbol on Rick's right palm began to glow until the Titan Seal reappeared and Avion was sucked back in. Rick grinned and said

"This beats having pokemon by a long shot!" as he placed the seal into his pack. A thought further that Titans would actually be of incredible use, so he turned to Xeron and asked

"Can I get a Titan?"

Xeron asked in turn

"Do you have a weapon crafted by a Legendary?" A nodded and replied

"Yes." Xeron nodded and said

"Then yes you can. Just find one." A felt a measure of determination as he replied

"I will." Xeron smirked and told him

"Good luck finding one, better luck defeating it."

A didn't reply. Instead he walked towards the elevator to get back into the Mercury. He headed around, still not fully aware of the floor plan of the massive warship. Rose, thankfully, touched his mind and led him to his room, where she and Loran were waiting for him.

**Four hours later…**

The ship touched down just outside what A recognized as Fortree city in Hoenn, and he grew a bit worried that he might meet with his former self. He wasn't entirely sure where he was at this point in time (he couldn't remember smaller details that far back) but he had a feeling that Arceus would prevent any cataclysmic events. The team got out of the ship and walked toward a large house that looked like a dojo.

Alara asked Rick

"Is that the house you grew up in?"

Rick looked at it and smiled.

"Yes it is."

He turned to Maiyu and told her

"That's the house I grew up in. From when I was ten until I was seventeen. Seven great years. That's where I met all these guys."

Jean walked up to Rick and patted his back, saying

"Welcome home after five years, going on six." Rick took a deep breath, then released it and said

"It feels good to see the old home." He turned to his team and asked

"Does anyone still have the keys to the house?"

The Altaria replied

"Winston, Gloria, and Wayland have keys."

The Alakazam then said

"No need. There's someone in there."

Rick arched an eyebrow and asked

"In the house?"

Everyone quickly went into their human forms, greatly surprising A, and Rick went to knock on the door. Soon a young woman opened the door, raised her eyebrows and said

"Well, well, well, this is a nice surprise. I thought you would never come back."

Rick smiled and hugged her, asking

"Gloria, what are you doing here?" Gloria rolled her eyes and said

"This is still my home. I can't abandon it."

"Well, now that Master Ryu is dead, I guess someone has to care for the house."

Gloria nodded and said firmly

"Right! Now all of you come on in!"

A walked in after the others, but feeling slightly intrusive, since some of them began crying, he made his way out the back. There he saw a garden that was well tended and even had a pond. A went to sit by the pond and began thinking hard. He was wondering where the voice had come from, because he knew that hadn't been any psychic. Their mind-touches were far different than what he experienced. His sword had also been vibrating at the time, but he didn't see any legends around. He knew that the Titan didn't count either, because his sword would have been vibrating the whole time, which it hadn't.

Then there was the matter he was going over before Rick had interrupted his thoughts, though it wasn't unwelcome. He sighed in a depressed manner, wishing the pain of it all would just go away.

Soon the team was saying they were going to stay the night, and A decided to leave them to their private affairs and left with the Mercury. Four hours later, he, Rose and Loren were back in their den.

**New Year's Eve, 22nd Den**

A and his pokemon stood in the training area, watching the clock countdown from the massive screen that had been placed at the top of the hospital for their benefit. A watched in happiness and loneliness as his pokemon got into their various partnerships. Even the mates of those interned were visiting their mates (although the mystery of Mia's mate remained unsolved). He didn't begrudge them, but he wished he had a companion of his own. He looked over at the crate which had been sent down to them; it contained champagne that was made by the Sanctuary, good for pokemon and humans alike to drink. After the countdown had finished, A went to it and grabbed a couple bottles. His pokemon hadn't really touched it, and he wanted to forget his troubles, if only for a little while. As he walked away with his loot, someone grabbed his arm. He turned and saw Rose looking at him in some concern. She released him and asked

"You're not trying to get drunk, are you?"

A turned to face her and challenged

"And if I am?"

Rose was shocked and asked

"Why?"

A sighed and told her

"Ever since I was ten, the only thing I've ever done was fight against criminals. Part of my childhood was robbed from me because of some greedy bastards who didn't care who they hurt to get what they wanted. Then I lost my family and had to flee from my home region. I died but was brought back to life to live as a protector of pokemon, and while I don't regret doing that, although I'm wondering if that was the best decision, my only friends are dying off, one by one. On top of that, I don't have a companion I can turn to in my time of need, one I can be intimate with for as long as I need to. I think I'm entitled to a few drinks, and I'm definitely going to need it come Valentine's."

He turned away from her and went into the mansion, steering toward his room. Rose was left behind, wondering what was becoming of her master.

**Remember to review!**


	32. Ch 32: A Pleasant Surprise

**Okay everybody, this chapter may settle some problems, but I'm not sure everyone will be satisfied. But, working this out with GalladeFenrir44 has been fun, I like the idea, so I'm going to use it. So, sit back and enjoy, and review whenever you're finished.**

A woke up, feeling pleasant. A month had passed since the battle against the Titan on the SAM, and A was pleased that events had been much better than they could have been. The Kirlia, Maiyu, was safe, and none of them had died. That was something at least.

A stretched, not paying attention to whatever day it was, or the time, since it didn't really matter. Nothing could have happened today, right?

He dressed and buckled his badge and sword, as had become his custom now. Then he went through the mansion until he hit the training grounds outside. He took a deep breath of the somewhat fresh air and waved to Bruce, his Machamp, who waved back and replied

"Happy Valentine's Day, Alpha!"

A froze in place, and he whispered in horror

"What? What day is it?"

He ran back inside and ripped the calendar off the wall. He didn't keep much track of the days anymore, since everyday was pretty much like the last. Rose kept track and usually told him what was coming up, but she had neglected to let him know about any recent events for the week. Had there been a reason for it?

The selfsame Gardevoir walked into the room, and she froze when she saw A with the calendar. She looked into his face, seeming worried. A slowly turned to face her, hunched over and still clutching the calendar, and asked

"Rose… is there… _any_thing… you neglected to tell me?"

"Uh… n-no, I don't…th-think so… why, is there s-something… wrong?"

A turned the calendar to face her, and it had a picture of a red heart on it, and in the middle of the heart was the number "14". A slowly said

"Did you know about this?"

She was shaking nervously now, and she slowly nodded. A cursed and threw the calendar away from him, shouting

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I-I didn't think you wanted to know… you seemed to hate it so much…"

"As a matter of fact, I do" A said curtly, turning away from her and going back outside. Although he said nothing, his pokemon could feel the anger, the distress, flowing off of him, and they all backed away. He approached the training grounds, anger blazing in his eyes. He ripped Savior out of its sheath and summoned ground. He aimed at the field and gave rise to a batch of earthen hearts. His pokemon tensed in anticipation. Then A rushed forward and began slashing left and right, acting like a complete madman.

For over an hour, he destroyed many hearts. Thoughts of loneliness ran through his mind the entire time, thinking about his lost love. After an hour of complete madness, he stopped and let loose a guttural shout. She slammed his sword back into its sheath and stomped off toward the mansion, shouting

"EVERYONE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE AND DON'T BOTHER ME!"

He quickly walked into his room, slamming the door and sliding against it to the floor. He sat there, feeling numb. Then the tears started to flow, and he angrily swiped at them with his hands. He got up and headed over to the mini-fridge that was placed in his room. He opened it and brought out three bottles of champagne, the same kind that had been sent down for New Years.

He went to his bed and sat down, drew his sword and popped the top off. Then he set it aside and placed the opening of the bottle to his mouth. There was a loud knock on the door, making A pause as he heard

"A, this is the Warlord. Open the door." A growled in frustration, then said loudly so he could be heard

"With all due respect sir, get the hell out of here and leave me alone." After a short moment of silence, Rick shouted

"A, stop acting like a child and come out here!" A jumped off his bed and shouted

"Leave sir! I don't want to get even more irritated." A heard Rick snort and say

"Just tell me what's wrong with you." A sat on his bed again and began raising the bottle to his lips, practically singing

"Sir, I'm just going to ignore you now."

As he drank, he could hear mutterings on the other side of his door, and he figured they were talking about him. He rolled his eyes and finished the drink. Just as the voices had left, A hurled the bottle at the wall, not caring what he damaged at this point, since nothing would compare to his soul.

"_Shattered… just like my heart."_

He reached for another bottle and his sword, thankful he had more in the fridge if this didn't do the trick. He tilted his head back and drained the second bottle in less than five minutes, and threw that at the wall too.

As he was grabbing the third bottle, he heard Rose shout out for Louie, his Alakazam. A frowned, wondering what she could possibly want with him. Then he shrugged. The alcohol was safe for pokemon consumption, but the stuff was strong. Already A's mind began to drift to parts unknown, and his vision became unreliable. He quickly drank up the third bottle, and just like its predecessors, it met an unfortunate end with a force stronger than itself.

He staggered up and looked into his mirror. What he saw was the image of a slightly older boy, one whose lifespan extended over a century, who had witnessed many horrors to speak of, and who gained the respect of each and every pokemon he held on to. Except that boy had become careless now, relying on alcohol to forget his problems, instead of dealing with them. But he wanted someone to help him, but not just anyone. He wanted Green.

"Damn you. Damn you Cipher, and Rocket, Aqua and Magma, Galactic, and Plasma. I hope you're all happy burning in the hell where you all belong. I pray to Arceus that Giratina tortures your souls for all of eternity for what you have taken from me."

He turned away from the mirror and stumbled to the fridge, grabbing another bottle of champagne. He staggered to the bed and, after some trouble, opened the bottle. He guzzled its contents and threw it toward the wall. Suddenly, a green blur appeared in front of the bottle and grabbed it. He smirked at A and said

"Well that's quite the introduction. You know, being drunk and depressed is a bad combo." A scoffed at X and said disdainfully

"Well this is a surprise. I don't remember asking you for a visit. What do you want X?"

X glared at A and told him

"Mind that tone of voice with me boy! You are like this because of your own decisions. Now I'm about to help fix that. Come with me!" A flipped his head arrogantly and said

"I don't have to go anywhere with you." X crossed his arms and said

"Don't make a mistake now boy. You're drunk, so I can't blame you for that. Now just calmly come with me." A eyed him and asked

"And if I refuse?" X shook his head and told him

"You're going to come one way or another."

"Whatever."

A turned around and looked at himself in the mirror. He could see the age of someone who lived his life but didn't get what they truly needed; companionship. His voice turned a bit more remorseful and he said

"I've always hated this day. There's no use in trying to fix anything now. It's too late."

X's voice became gentle, even fatherly, as he said

"I wouldn't be too sure of that A. Come on, just come with me. Things will be better." A shook his head, his eyes tearing up as he croaked

"No, it's too late for help right now. As far as I'm concerned Green's dead."

X said to him as he waved the bottle he was still holding in his direction

"There's ways to cope, but drowning yourself in liquor and misery won't help." A nodded and sighed, replying

"I know. I just don't know another way to cope." X held out an offertory hand and said

"Just come with me." A shook his head again and sighed.

"I can't."

X sighed and was silent. A watched the reflection in the mirror, and X was moving toward him, still holding the bottle, but he was doing something funny, or maybe that was his vision. Suddenly he flew forward, a slight feeling of cutting going through his head. He fell to the floor, barely conscious, and began to feel restricted. He couldn't move one way or another, and X picked him up and threw him through a black, empty space.

The next thing he knew, he fell out of the empty space and landed hard on the ground. His breath escaped him, and he still couldn't move. He was picked up as if he weighed nothing, and he heard X shout

"Order up!"

A could feel something warm running down the side of his head, and he heard Rick ask in shock

"X, what the hell did you do to him?" Behind A, X answered

"He wouldn't come willingly, so I had to improvise. I smashed a champagne bottle over his head."

A suddenly shook his head and seemed to be aware of his surroundings. He also became aware of a severe pain on his head and he shouted

"Ow! What the hell!? Untie me!"

Rick replied

"Sorry, but we had to kidnap you so that we can help you." A growled and shouted

"I don't need a damn concussion!"

"Shut up and come one." Rick looked at the horizon and saw the sun disappear.

"It's time!" A squinted, trying to clear his vision a bit and asked suspiciously

"Time for what?"

"You'll soon find out A." He turned to Alara and asked her

"Ally, heal him and get that smell of liquor off of him. Try to see if you can sober him up too."

X suddenly said

"Oh I'll take care of the liquor smell and drunken part."

X charged a small ball of light into his hand and grabbed A's head. A began to pulsate and soon he was sober and no longer smelled of liquor. His vision cleared right up and he blinked, finally seeing the shadowy chains that bound him. Alara went to him and used **Healing Pulse** on him, healing the gash.

"Good! He's presentable. Let's go!"

A was beginning to flail, forcing Rick to hit A with a **Thunder Wave**. Now that A motionless, Rick and X carried him over to the beach.

A was still talking and was asking Rick with hatred on his voice

"Dare I ask what the hell you guys are doing to me?" A could hear the smirk on Rick's voice as he replied

"We're taking you to see an old friend."

"_What?" _A thought to himself. Then he asked

"Who?" Rick merely chuckled and cryptically answered

"You'll find out. Now be quiet for a little bit. We're almost there." A struggled further, then hissed

"You know this is illegal in almost the entire world." Rick laughed and replied

"Diplomatic immunity is a bitch, isn't it? Besides, it's for your own good."

X followed up by saying

"This might change your opinion of this day."

The chains that were bounding A suddenly dissipated, freeing him. However, Rick and X kept a tight hold on him. After a few more minutes, they set him down and he tried to take a swing at X, since his accuracy was improved, but X caught his fist and kicked him back. X said to him

"Calm down and look at the beach."

A glared at him and shouted

"You brought me here to look at the beach?! Do you think of me as an idiot!?"

Rick sighed and said to him

"Idiot! Look at who's on the beach."

A was suspicious and slowly turned around to look at the beach. When he looked his jaw dropped and was frozen in complete disbelief.

"How...how did...G-G-Green?" Rick smiled at him and said

"Yep, I had to ask for a favor from Arceus. I don't like doing that, but if it helps you then I guess it's okay." A shook his head and asked him

"How did you find out about her?"

"Rose and Louie told me." He hesitated for a moment, then amended

"More like I kinda forced them."

A didn't respond; instead he stood in place, looking at the unconscious Green.

Alara walked up to him and slapped him to snap him out of his phase.

"A, get to her. She won't wake up until you approach her. Arceus told Rick so."

A rubbed his cheek and said

"Thanks, I needed that. All I have to do is walk up to her?"

"Yes. Go before I throw you there."

A was not about to test Alara and made his way to Green. He looked at her and knelt down beside her. The only thing that registered right now was his utter surprise, but under that was also excitement at seeing his lost, unrequited love. His breath caught as she began to stir on the sand, and she slowly opened her eyes. They focused on the sky and she asked

"Am I in heaven?"

Rick chuckled and replied

"Not quite yet."

Green shook her head and began to raise herself. Then her eyes caught hold of A and she froze. She looked at him for a second, then asked

"And you are?"

He was so shocked to hear her voice again after over half a century, the only thing he could say was

"Green?"

She nodded and said, slightly annoyed

"Yes...can I get a name here?" A felt crestfallen as he asked her

"You really don't know who I am?"

Green shook her head and replied

"No, which is why I'm asking."

Rick laughed and said

"She probably doesn't recognize you now. You probably look way different than you did back in the day." A mentally smacked himself as he watched Green face Rick. Her eyes grew wide when she saw him, and she asked

"Did that Gallade just talk to me?"

A chuckled and replied

"Yeah he does that."

"How?"

Rick replied

"We'll get to that at another time. For the moment, look at yourself."

Green was confused and asked

"Why?" Rick thought for a second and said

"Okay let's do this another way. What is the last thing that you can remember?" Green thought to herself for a second.

"Ummm… being in my home in Kanto, dying, and now waking up here."

"Were you old?" Rick asked her. Green scoffed and told him

"Yes, I am an old woman."

Rick chuckled.

"Look at your hands and tell me otherwise."

Green arched an eyebrow, but decided to look at herself. Once she saw her hands she was immediately dumbfounded. She began to look at the rest of her body and said

"How? I'm young again!"

"Interesting, isn't it? Hey A, tell her who you are!"

A heard him say that and gulped. Green turned her attention to A, who stammered

"Well...um..."

Rick sighed and said

"Don't let my efforts be in vain. Just tell her."

A took a deep breath and steeled himself.

"Green...I'm Red. I know that I don't look like him anymore, but that happens with time."

Green frowned and replied

"So you're Red?"

"Yes." Green's eyes narrowed suspiciously and she said

"Prove it to me."

Rick whistled, clapped once, and said

"Well with that I will be leaving you two alone. Let's go Ally!"

A yelled out

"Rick, wait! Don't leave!"

"Bye!"

Rick immediately teleported away, leaving a confused Green and a nervous A.

A turned to Green and sighed, saying as he helped her up

"Take a walk with me."

Green accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her up, which he did with no trouble. They began to walk along the beach, and A appreciated the scenery. There were never many beaches in Orre, so each one fascinated him. Green interrupted his thoughts by asking

"Okay, so how do I know you're really Red?"

A thought for a moment, then said

"During the first Team Rocket incident, which you and I were a part of, Team Rocket infiltrated Silph Co. in an attempt to swipe the Master Ball."

Green scoffed and said

"Please, anybody could have read that in the next day's paper! That doesn't prove anything to me."

A sighed and said

"Okay, then how about this? In Celadon City, below the Pokemon Center, rested the Game Corner. In the very back wall, behind a poster, there was a button that opened a secret staircase that led into Team Rocket's secondary base."

Green eyed him suspiciously and said slowly

"Anybody could have found that if they had bothered to look."

A growled, then said

"Fine. Your two companions, your partner Red and your rival Blue, arrived three days to Professor Oak's lab before you did. Blue took the Squirtle, Red took the Charmander, which left you with a Bulbasaur. You named it Leaf and raised it lovingly into a Venusaur, and toward the end of the Team Rocket incident, you reluctantly agreed to allow Red's Charizard, Blitz, and your Venusaur, to breed together so Red could have a Bulbasaur to help complete the National Pokedex."

Green gasped and stopped, causing A to stop as well. She grabbed him by his shirt and failed to lift him up threateningly, asking vehemently

"Who told you about that? I told Red never to speak about that!"

"And I didn't. I kept my promise to you, Green."

Green's eyes became less suspicious and more searching. She stared deeply into his eyes, and she let go of his shirt and slowly asked

"Is it really you, Red?"

A nodded his head, and Green raised her hand up to her mouth. Then she looked around them and asked

"Where exactly are we? This doesn't look like Kanto anymore."

A chuckled and said

"Nope, Right now we're on a beach in the Sinnoh region."

Green looked up at him in shock and asked

"Sinnoh? What are we doing all the way out here? Why aren't we in Kanto, where we belong?"

A sighed and said

"To tell you the truth, I don't really belong to Kanto."

Green cocked her head and asked

"Then what's your home region?"

A began to walk again, and Green moved to keep up with him. After a bit, A responded

"My home region is Orre."

Green frowned and said

"That explains your lack of any accent. But what were you doing in Kanto if you belonged to Orre?"

A thought for a second, then asked her

"Do you remember anything that occurred across the lands before the Team Rocket incident?"

Green frowned and thought for a minute, then said

"Well, the only thing I remember is a bit fuzzy right now, but I think there was something called a 'repeated Shadow Incident', and I think it was somewhere in Orre."

A nodded and asked her

"Anything else?"

She shook her head and replied

"Nothing, other than some rumor that a ten-year old boy stopped it. Why?"

A took a deep breath and told her

"I was that boy. My true name is Michael Ryuto. I was born in the Orre region, and at the age of ten I was about ready to begin my own pokemon adventure, as most everyone is. But then something happened; Cipher."

Green cocked her head and asked

"Who are they?"

A sighed heavily and responded

"An evil syndicate bent on world domination through the use of shadow pokemon. Believe it or not, they set the ideals of Team Rocket, though not quite the same means. They stole regular trainer's pokemon and used a tortuous process to close the door to a pokemon's heart. The result was a pokemon that could never grow or bond with its trainer, and in return its full power would be unlocked. They would be used for various things, mostly beating up other people and their pokemon in an attempt to find more recruits."

Green blanched and said

"That's horrible!"

A nodded and said

"And it's not the first time it happened, either. Five years prior, a group called Team Snagem worked alongside with Cipher, though Snagem was better known, to steal people's pokemon. Cipher would then administer the shadowing process and provide Snagem troops with 'artillery and ammunition', so to speak. One member of Snagem though, a boy by the name of Wes, defected and partially destroyed Snagem's base. Along the way, he swiped their only portable snagging machine."

"And what's a snagging machine?"

"It's a piece of technology designed to swipe any pokemon, regardless of whether or not they already have a trainer."

Green scowled and said

"That's despicable!" A nodded and said

"I agree, but Wes only used it to swipe back the shadow pokemon he found. He was able to locate them only because he found a girl, who was in the process of being kidnapped, named Rui. She had the innate ability to 'see' shadow pokemon, and Wes would capture them and purify them."

Green sighed and said

"I must be getting annoying at this point, but what is purifying?"

A smiled and said

"Not at all. Purification is the name of the process used to revert a shadow pokemon back into a regular pokemon. During the process, they are under purification. When it is complete, they are fully purified."

"And how is it done?"

"It can only be accomplished by a person with nothing but good intentions and a pure heart. And a lot of patience."

A stopped talking for a bit, and Green was trying to process all of this. Finally she asked

"So, how do you fit in all of that, and how does it lead to you becoming Red?"

A chuckled and replied

"Well, when the second Shadow Incident started, I was about to start my journey. During the five years there was peace, my father worried that shadow pokemon might make a return. So he and his good friend Professor Krane developed the pokemon research lab, in an effort to prevent the rise, or mitigate it at least, of shadow pokemon. However, the day after my fifth birthday, where he gave me my first pokemon, an Eevee, he was murdered by Cipher."

Green gasped in horror, and A continued

"Professor Krane and my mother were devastated by his loss, but soon they set back to work, knowing if he could come back he would have been shouting at them to get their butts in gear and finish the job." A chuckled and said

"My father was that kind of guy, and he wouldn't let anything, not even his death, stand in the way of protecting people and pokemon. I guess he passed that on to me. Anyway, the day I turned ten and was going to set out on my pokemon journey, my little sister, Jovi, had gone missing. My mother sent me out to look for her. I eventually found her at the lab of our local mad scientist, Dr. Kaminko. I'll tell you who he is later."

Green nodded and A kept talking.

"We were sent to retrieve a specific part in our local sea port, Gateon, for the completion of the purification chamber. I'll explain that later, too. We bumped into a muscled hothead who didn't understand compassion and brought out his shadow pokemon. We were saved by a very old guy and his two sons who turned out to be the leaders of Cipher. When I told my mom and the Professor about this, the Professor decided to bequeath the new and improved Snag Machine to me."

"What was new and improved about it?" Green asked. A replied

"Unlike the previous model, it came with an aura reader so it was possible to determine which pokemon were shadow and which were not. And, unlike the previous model, it could only be used to snag shadow pokemon. Snagging is a special process that looks similar to capturing a wild pokemon, but it's special in its own way. It's a bit difficult to describe accurately."

Green frowned and said

"Could I see an example of a snag?"

A shook his head and told her

"Afraid not. I left my Snag Machine back in my own time, in a very special location where no one else would find it. And besides, there aren't any shadow pokemon around, and I would prefer to keep it that way."

Green nodded in understanding, then A said

"I campaigned against Cipher after they kidnapped Professor Krane to make him divulge the secrets he had uncovered about the purification of shadow pokemon. I traveled throughout Orre, having little human contact the whole time except for enemy grunts and bosses. At the end of it all, I came very close to losing my life, but I prevailed. I defeated Cipher and saved the world from their dastardly clutches."

Green's eyes widened and she said

"So, we have you to thank for saving the world twice." A cringed and said

"Eh, the number's actually a bit higher than that, but I hate bragging."

Confused, Green asked

"What do you mean?"

A sighed and said as they began to walk through the entrance to the Sanctuary

"Did you ever watch the news after Red, me, disappeared? About how various children saved the world in one form or another?"

Green nodded, then her eyes widened and she whispered

"Don't tell me…"

"Yeah, I was all of them. I defeated Cipher, Rocket, Aqua, Magma, Galactic, and Plasma. I also defeated the League of each region after doing so, except for Orre, which doesn't have an official League."

Her eyes still wide, Green said

"So, you're like the champion of five regions and the savior of six! That's incredible! You must be very proud of yourself!"

A blushed and nervously rubbed the back of his head, saying

"Well, like I said, I don't like bragging. Anyway, afterward, Professor Oak contacted me and begged me to complete the Pokedex since I had been to every region. It took me quite a while, but I finally managed to do it."

Green's eyes couldn't grow any wider, and A said

"Hey, if you're not careful, your face will get stuck that way."

Green blinked, then giggled. A chuckled with her for a moment, then Green said in awe

"Wow, so you have every pokemon available?"

A hesitated, then said

"Well… not so much anymore. It's true, I finished the Pokedex, and I kept my pokemon, but as the years have gone by, they're beginning to wear down. I've already lost two of my pokemon, but the one that hit me hardest… was the loss of my first pokemon, the Umbreon I had evolved from the Eevee my father gave me." The tears began to flow again, and Green paused in surprise, then hesitated. Finally, she moved in and hugged him, causing A to freeze.

"Wh-what are you doing?" A asked her. She let him go and looked up at him, tears in her own blue eyes as she replied

"I know what it's like to lose your pokemon. All of mine either passed on or wanted to be released, so I died alone." A drew her in to comfort her, and he said

"The only reason I'm around now is because, when I died, all my pokemon cried for my loss, and even threatened Arceus if he didn't treat my soul well. He took pity on them and raised me, against Giratina's will, to become his White Knight and the Protector of Pokemon."

Green gasped and looked him over, then pointed at his sword, asking

"Is that what that's for?"

A grinned and took Savior out of its sheath, then sent a blast of fire into the air. He faced Green's wide eyes and joked

"It's certainly not a fashion statement."

He returned it to the sheath and Green said

"Could I see that?" A shook his head and replied

"Sorry, but this sword can only be held by its chosen wielder, and if it deems someone unworthy, it kills them. In fact, had I been deemed unsuitable for this sword, it would have killed me shortly after Arceus brought me back to life, though I didn't know it at the time."

"Wow… that's heavy."

A nodded, then led her over to the elevators that descended to his level.

"Tell you what; come stay in the house I'm using right now. I'm sure we have a few more rooms. Tomorrow I'll explain everything to you and have you meet my pokemon, alright?"

Green nodded and yawned, making A do so himself. When they reached the twenty-second den, he led her over to his mansion and directed her to an empty room after a brief tour so she could find what she needed immediately. Then he said goodnight to her and went to his own room. After he heard the door close, he jumped into the air and clapped his feet together.

He entered his room and saw the mess he had made, and he felt a measure of embarrassment for his actions.

"I'm going to have some apologizing to do tomorrow…" A mumbled to himself. Then he shrugged and unbuckled his belt, threw it on the nightstand, and flopped onto the bed, too tired to be bothered to undress right now.

**Nyahahahahahaha! There, now A has his own bit of romance to enjoy, or at least a companion. Please review and tell me what you think of this!**


	33. Ch 33: So It Wasn't A Dream?

**Hey peeps! I got another one for ya! Now, this isn't connected to The Blade and The Embrace, it's mostly just filler to better grasp the relationship of A and Green. So without further ado, let's begin!**

A woke up, feeling a bit sore. He groaned and got onto his knees on his bed, feeling a bit worse for wear. He thought back and said to himself

"I had the best dream ever; I dreamt that Green had come back to life, and was waiting for me like a sleeping angel on a beach. Maybe I should lay off the alcohol."

He jumped off the bed and stretched a bit, then looked down at the mess of broken bottles he created. Then he observed the damage he had caused to the wall, and he sweatdropped, his head drooped, and told himself

"Yeah, definitely need to lay off the alcohol."

He went outside and retrieved a dustpan and brush, then cleaned up his mess. It required two trips, but when he was finished, he felt a measure of his guilt lift. There wasn't much he could do for the wall, though, so he would have to see if he could get someone to fix that.

After that idea popped into his head, another one occurred. He called out

"Excuse me, is one of those guards there? I need to ask something."

One appeared out of thin air, making A smile rather than flinch, and he said

"I need someone to fix the wall in there."

The guard peered into the room, then pulled out scratching his head. He asked

"How did that happen?"

A nervously scratched the back of his head and replied

"Well, I have a bad association with Valentine's Day, and I got drunk… I had a bad problem… I took to throwing the empty bottles at the walls… I cleaned up the mess, but I can't fix the wall… so can you call someone down for me?"

The guard checked the damage and nodded, saying

"It'll be taken care of, but Warlord Aeruthael will be informed about this."

A nodded, accepting the consequences of his actions. He started to walk toward the kitchen, when Rose ran up to him and frantically said

"Alpha, there is a human in the kitchen!"

A frowned and followed her, drawing his sword. After so many years, he had become quite paranoid about any possible enemies. When he entered the kitchen, however, he saw something that made him sheath Savior and rub his eyes in amazement.

There, making herself something, was the love of his life, Green. Rose shook him out of his reverie and frantically whispered in his ear

"Alpha, what do we do?"

A chuckled and said

"Nothing, there's nothing to worry about." He stepped forward and said

"Good morning."

Green turned around and said

"Oh, good morning, Red." A chuckled nervously and said

"Actually, that's not my name anymore. Right now, I'm going by Alpha, but for the time I'm here, my name is A."

Green cocked her head, then replied

"Well, that's stupid. I've known you as Red since the day I met you, and while I have no idea why I'm even here, it isn't easy to just go with the flow on a sudden name change."

A looked around and grabbed a pan, then cracked a couple eggs. He drew Savior and balanced the pan on the blade, then lit it up. In a matter of minutes, he had eggs he could live with, and he grabbed some bread and Oran berry juice to go along with it. Green sweatdropped and asked

"Is this what you do for breakfast every morning?"

A took a bite of his eggs and winced a bit, then shrugged, saying

"Food's food, no matter what it looks like. Besides, from my long life as a trainer, I've become accustomed to eating just about whatever I can scrounge up." He thought for a second, then scowled.

"Except meat. I don't eat meat."

Green cocked her head again and asked

"Why?"

A shook his head and took another bite that made him cringe, then respond

"I can't bear the thought of eating a pokemon. The only exception I'll make is if I'm in dire need. Otherwise, it would feel like I was eating one of my own pokemon, and I would never do that, no matter the circumstances. Therefore, I resort to a light vegetarianism."

"Light vegetarianism?"

A shrugged again and took a swig of his drink to wash out the eggs, then replied

"I just won't eat meat. I have no problem with milk, and obviously I can stand to eat eggs, as long as they're unfertilized."

He took another bite of his food, then slammed his face to the table and added

"Or not cooked by me."

Rose laughed for a moment, and Green was momentarily surprised to see her.

"Oh, hello, you must be one of Red's pokemon."

"Actually, his name is Alpha" Rose corrected. Green cocked her head nervously and said

"I'm sorry, but you know I can't understand you, right?"

This perked A's attention, and he said

"Really, you can't understand a word she's saying?" Green shook her head and replied

"Not beyond her specie's name, anyway."

"_Hmm, Arceus must not have given her that gift when she was revived" _A thought to himself. Then he dumped the rest of his eggs in the trash and drained the Oran berry juice, glad he was able to avoid a hangover this morning. Then he said

"So, what do you want to do today?"

Green started to eat her perfectly prepared meal as she asked

"Is that all you're going to eat?" A shrugged and replied

"Until lunch." Green hung her head and exhaled a small mushroom cloud, then looked up at him and said

"I'd like to know more about your adventures. Since you told me you were the heroes from each region, it sounds like you would have some incredible stories to tell." A hesitated and sat down, saying slowly

"Well, I suppose some of them could be seen as heroic, but a lot of them were really just horrible. It wasn't easy being a hero, as I'm sure you remember."

Green shook her head and told him

"I seem to remember dumping most of the load on you. I'm sorry for that, by the way. I didn't know you had it so rough."

A quickly waved his hands around, saying

"No, no, it's not your fault at all! Most of that I dumped on myself, you're in no way responsible for it!"

Green smiled slightly and shook her head, then said

"Well, thanks. Anyway, what was life in Orre like?"

A turned very serious as he dropped his hands, then said somewhat monotonously

"Pretty dull, if you were an average trainer. We had no official League, so to be a full-fledged trainer, you would usually have to go alone into the wild and find, capture, and tame a pokemon. Orre is notorious for trouble, seeing as we've had multiple syndicate attacks within short spans of time, fairly feral pokemon, and a set system of double battles. We're raised on the double battle. In fact, if you had two pokemon at random, and I grabbed a couple from my line-up, chances are I could beat you hands-down, but again I don't like to brag. So it was really quite a surprise when I got to Kanto and learned I could only participate in single battles, unless I managed to go up against two people at once."

Green contemplated this as she rounded up the last of her food, then said

"That's strange to me; to be so used to a style of battling that you seek it out in another region. Anyway, how did you manage everything? It must have been stressful."

A gave her a dark look and said

"More than you know. Shadow pokemon are not to be trifled with, at any costs. They are emotionless before purification begins, and during the beginning of purification, their emotions tend to become erratic, sometimes leading into what is known as Reverse Mode."

"What's Reverse Mode?"

A shook his head sadly and explained.

"Reverse Mode is typical in shadow pokemon. Almost every single one experiences it at some point. What it is is the pokemon's emotions rising to the point where they cannot be controlled, reaching a critical state. Their hearts become overloaded, and until the Reverse Mode is fixed, the pokemon will suffer continuously. It isn't something one of the Pokemon Center's machines can fix, either."

Green looked worried as she asked

"Then what does?" A held up two fingers as he said

"One of two methods works; you can either call their name, or use a Scent on them. In Orre, we have developed three kinds of Scents which can be used on a pokemon, sort of like a massage gel, to increase their friendliness. However, they are fairly expensive. Calling works faster, but not always more safely."

Green was confused as she asked

"So which method is best?"

A shrugged and said

"There really isn't a better method. Both will raise a shadow pokemon in Reverse Mode's friendliness to a certain degree, depending somewhat on the level and the will of the pokemon, but calling is more immediate. By contrast, Scents last longer, but can't be used in the middle of battle. It's really a preference of choice, and I kind of went with both."

"But I thought you said those Scents were expensive?" A nodded and said

"And they are, but when you're beating PEONS left and right, you tend to build up money. I swear, there were times when I couldn't take two steps without being ambushed again."

"Ambushed?!"

A shrugged and responded

"They were determined to get what they wanted, and they didn't care much how they were going to do it. After all, if they were willing to hurt innocent pokemon to attain their goals, then what was one measly, interfering child?"

Green looked uneasy as she put the dishes in the sink and began to wash them. A stood and immediately moved to help her, but she forestalled him with a hand and said

"No, no, keep telling your story, I'm very interested."

"I can help you and still talk" A argued. Green nodded and said

"True, but this way it lasts longer. Go ahead, pick up where you left off." A sighed and said

"Well, like I said before, if they were willing to hurt innocent pokemon to attain their goals, then what was one measly, interfering child? I had uncovered them when they kidnapped Professor Krane, I emptied their desert base, blew their cover in ONBS, or the Orre News Broadcasting Station, and shut down their shadow factory, the main source of their shadow pokemon reserves. Needless to say, the head honcho at the time was very… upset with me."

"But you beat him" Green said positively, and A hesitatingly nodded.

"Yes, but not without serious risk. At any time, I could easily have been killed. I nearly was when I defeated the lead boss. One of his sons, Eldes, showed up and tried to convince him to blow up the whole island, with me on it. Fortunately, the sensible one, Ardos, was there to make Greevil, the leader, see reason and turn themselves in. Eldes got away; even now, I don't know where he is. In our proper time, I presume he's already dead. Here, though… here, the possibilities are endless."

Green shivered, then asked

"Exactly what time frame are we in? How far back are we in the past? And on that note, isn't it dangerous to mess with the past?"

A thought for a second. He had a feeling that, given Rick's words yesterday, Arceus had consented to revive Green so he could have a companion, possibly a mate, or a wife as humans would delicately put it. He would avoid voicing his suspicions, however; they would not serve him well. So he simply answered the question.

"Well, Arceus told me this was about the time I was making my Hoenn reign, so right about the time Teams Aqua and Magma started becoming big."

"Yeah, how was that? What were you up against there?"

A chuckled darkly and said

"Two stupid, neurotic psychopaths bent on expanding the world either by sea or land. Aqua was after oceanic expansion; Magma wanted to spread out the land. Both were crazy ideals that nearly destroyed the world when the main power behind their plans came to light."

"What were they?"

"Kyogre and Groudon. Both were instrumental in the teams' plans, Kyogre crucial to expanding the waters, Groudon vital to spreading the land. The two titans were being controlled against their will with two special orbs created to control them. Everyone in Hoenn suffered since there were areas of intense rain and parts of the land that suffered from drought. I had to go and wake the ruler of the two, Rayquaza, the Sky King."

A took moment to collect his thoughts and his breath, then continued.

"He didn't respond well to being disturbed, but once he understood what I was bothering him for, he immediately flew off and ended their feud. Then the leaders of both teams, Archie and Maxie, settled on a truce that they would never again threaten the world with their crazy ideologies. But I didn't buy it."

"Why?" asked Green "If they said they wouldn't, given what they had learned, couldn't you take their word for it?" A scoffed and said

"After my reign against Cipher, I have a hard time trusting people. They're often vain, and almost always power hungry. That opinion didn't change when I came to Sinnoh, sometime after this war ends."

Green cocked her head as she began to dry off the dishes, asking

"We're at war?" A thought best how to explain, then told her

"Well, in a way, yes. However, this isn't a well-known war. But I think it's one of the more important, since it combines Teams Rocket, Cipher, Aqua, Magma, Galactic, and even Plasma. Obviously, Cipher and Rocket have each already been defeated, by me. I was going against Aqua and Magma at about this time, I believe, so they were fighting on two fronts. Galactic and Plasma must go their own ways after they lose, since they clearly never won, or the future I know as the present would be vastly different."

Green was wobbling around, holding her head in her hands, her eyes consisted of swirls, and she said wearily

"Oh, this is a bit too much for me…" A laughed, Green soon joining in. Once the dishes were put away, A said

"Want to meet my pokemon now?"

Green nodded emphatically, and A chuckled. Then he said

"Okay, but I'm going to have to visit the hospital where some of my pokemon are staying, seeing as they're going to be mothers soon."

Green practically squealed as she shouted

"Wow, congratulations!" A blushed slightly and nervously scratched the back of his head. Then he led her to the backyard, where he saw the training grounds still in the mess he had left them in. He stared at his mess and sighed, then heard Green ask

"What did that?" A sighed again and replied

"That would have been me, but I don't want to get into it right now. Let's get this started. You might want to cover your ears."

Green looked at him questioningly, but complied, stuffing her forefingers into her ears. Once she had done that, A raised his right forefinger and thumb to his mouth, then whistled shrilly. He waited and motioned for Green to unplug her ears.

Within five minutes, all of A's remaining pokemon, with the exception of those in the maternity ward, gathered in front of him. Many were staring at Green, wondering about the arrival of this latest human, and her significance to their master. Some, mostly his Kanto team, were smirking with the knowledge of who this was, especially Louie.

"Guys," A began "this is Green. She'll be staying with us for quite a while, I expect, so treat her kindly."

They all bowed and/or nodded simultaneously, then Rick, his Pidgeot, said

"Alpha, wasn't this the girl you-"

"Zip it, Rick" A said sing-songedly. Green turned to him and asked

"What?! You can understand pokemon?!" A facepalmed, forgetting she couldn't in his immediate embarrassment. Then he sighed to himself and grinned at her, saying

"Yep! Arceus blessed me with the ability to verbally communicate with pokemon when he made me his White Knight. This way, I can get detailed, first-hand accounts of abuse of any kind and liberate them."

Green seemed impressed, then turned to his pokemon and said

"They all seem to respect you, even love you." A nodded somberly and said

"And I love them all back. That's the best way trainers and pokemon operate, by having complete trust in each other. That was one of Blue's mistakes; he was driven for power, not friendship, and that's the reason I was able to dethrone him shortly after he earned his place as Champion. And I have this bond with all of my pokemon, regardless of where they came from or what backgrounds they had, though most of them suffered from one thing or another. A lot of the pokemon I have here were once shadow pokemon, though you wouldn't be able to tell it now."

Green's eyes widened, and she whispered in awe

"Wow…" A turned back to his pokemon and said

"Alright, everybody, you're free! I just wanted you to meet Green."

They all nodded and began going their separate ways, and A led Green to the hospital, where she delighted in visiting the expectant mothers, then wondered as they left,

"Red, how did you find time to work with them all? Didn't you have a busy social life, being the Champion of each region and all?"

A cringed and replied

"Not as much as you might think. Some twenty years ago, I became a hermit, for reasons I don't want to get into. Before that, I had always been pretty recluse."

"You didn't trust people that badly?"

"So much so that I took the Snag Machine and hid it away somewhere I knew nobody else would find it. The Professor and my mom weren't too happy about my decision, but I refused to return it, saying I had to be sure it was somewhere no one else could get it, and if I ever needed it again, because I will never trust that power to anyone else, I would know where to find it."

Green started thinking to herself, then said

"Well, let's just hope that you never have to use it again." A nodded and agreed with her. Then they took the elevator that led to the top of the Sanctuary. They walked out of the pokemon civilization and headed towards the beach. Then A began to ask

"So, how did you lead your life after I left?"

Green blushed and said

"Well, I became more prominent after you left, though I was never able to find you to try and take your title as true Champion. After you left, Lance took over, and Blue replaced Giovanni for Viridian City gym leader."

A nodded and said

"I heard about that when I started my Hoenn reign. Was he a good gym leader?"

Green scoffed and said

"More like a childish one. There was no denying he was strong, but because of that he was arrogant, and he had a tendency to leave his gym often, leaving trainers high and dry." A shook his head sadly and said

"So he never really changed, huh?"

"Nope. Soon after I gave up trying to find and defeat you, I got a job in Celadon, working in the department store. Not very glamorous, I'll admit, but it paid the bills and gave me an opportunity to settle down. Except I never married."

A felt his heart lift considerably and he asked

"You either?" Green shook her head and replied

"I could never find the right guy. I had some interested takers, but none of them suited my tastes. So I lived my life pretty well alone, especially when my pokemon started to die off or leave me. Those were sad, dark days."

A nodded and said

"It's hard to lose your closer friends, regardless of what or who they are."

For a while they did nothing more than stare out over the ocean, lost in their own thoughts. Soon, A felt Green's hand meet his own, and he looked down at his hand. Her hand was entwined in his own, and he looked up at Green for an explanation, though he was happy to be in this position. She smiled brightly and said

"We might lose our friends from time to time, but we can always remember them, and we will always have those memories to share with others. Besides, that's what making new friends is all about; creating newer, happier memories."

A smiled himself, and he tightened his grip on her hand, saying softly as he looked out over the ocean

"Yeah…"

**Okay, and that begins to set the scene for A and Green! Tell me what you guys think soon!**


	34. Ch 34: Of Dreams And Nightmares

**Alright, it's finally here! This next chapter should be pretty interesting to you guys, and there will be a follow-up shortly afterward. I have to wonder, though, if galladefenrir44 and I have been cursed or something... Oh well, on with the show!**

A and Green stood on the beach, taking in the fresh air and sunshine, merely enjoying each other's company. A fidgeted; he wanted dearly to tell her what he thought of her, how he had been after leaving Kanto, never to see her again until very recently. But he didn't want to make any sudden moves either; his experiences had shown him it was sometimes better to lie in wait, then pounce when you're not expected.

So he just stood there, holding Green's hand until she had to sneeze. Then they simply looked at the ocean before them. Then Green asked

"Hey... Red?" A smirked and replied

"That's not my name anymore, you know. It would probably cause less confusion if you just referred to me as A for right now." She frowned and retaliated

"That implies your name will change sometime in the future. You told me your real name is Michael, but you called yourself Red in Kanto. Now you tell me that your name for right now is 'A'. So what am I supposed to call you, more permanently?" A chuckled and said

"You sound just like my Kabutops." He looked at his feet and sighed wearily, saying

"It's true, I change my name a lot, but I have my reasons for it. When I left Orre for Kanto, it was with the intent of starting anew; I even left my pokemon behind so I didn't have an immediate head start. I'm glad I did too." Green appeared confused and asked

"Why?" A blushed a bit and responded

"Well, if I had taken my team with me, I could have crushed Team Rocket like a bug. But if I had done that, then we wouldn't have met."

A was mentally smacking himself and yelling in his mind

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! You just had to go and say that, didn't you?! Now she'll suspect something, and probably look at you like a weirdo!"

Green was about to respond, but the arrival of two guards quickly transformed her inquiry into a yelp of surprise. A, however, secretly sighed in relief, since he was spared Green's questions, at least, for the moment. A turned to them and raised an eyebrow, whereupon one of them said

"You have been summoned to the Chief's Court for a meeting with the Warlord. He wishes to speak with you."

A felt his stomach drop, and he asked in his mind

"Oh no, is this about that wall? Well, I said I would accept the consequences of my actions, so I guess I better get that over with."

A nodded and asked

"Are you to take me there?" The rightmost guard nodded and said

"As well as your companion, the human named Green. This is her, I presume?" A nodded and was about to respond, but Green shouted

"Okay, enough, please! I can't make heads or tails of this! I can understand you-" she said, pointing at A, then motioning to the guards

"But I can't understand a blasted thing they're saying!" A nervously laughed and scratched his head, then told her

"We're just going for a meeting with the Warlord, the long-haired Gallade you met earlier." Green frowned in concentration, then said

"I don't remember him." A shrugged and said

"Well, you'll meet him when we get there. These two will be taking us, so we'll be there in no time." Green nodded and eyed the Gallade nervously. One of them approached her, and she backed away momentarily, where the guard immediately said

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." Green sighed a mushroom cloud and said

"Dang it, this would be so much easier if I could speak to pokemon as well." A laughed with the guards and told her

"He's just going to take you to the Chief's Court. I'll be right behind you."

Green nodded nervously and closed her eyes as the guard placed a hand firmly on her shoulder, disappearing. The other guard did the same with A, and the two were soon at the steps of the enormous building, which Green seemed unable to tear her eyes away from.

"Wow, this is incredible! Did pokemon really create all of this?" A nodded and started to walk up the stairs, followed quickly by Green. The guards saluted A as he approached the doors, and they were opened for their entrance.

After they were in, A focused his attention to Rick on his throne, and he said

"What's up? Your soldiers came out of nowhere while I was at the beach with Green. Needless to say, I thought I was in trouble for something."

Rick looked at A and laughed. A gave him a disconcerted look until Rick said

"Sorry, but you should realize that you're in no trouble. If you didn't do anything, that is. Have you?" he asked, eyeing him skeptically. A shook his head and replied

"No, I've been at home, enjoying some time with my pokemon and Green." A took a moment to think and remembered to thank Rick.

"I forgot to tell you this, but thank you so much for asking Arceus to bring her back. I owe you one!"

Rick waved his hand and replied airily

"No need to thank me. I needed to get you out of your emotional ire." A smirked and said

"Well it worked." Rick nodded and responded

"I'm glad it did."

Green looked at Rick in awe and asked incredulously

"You're the reason I'm alive now?" Rick replied but forgot to turn on his translator. Green then said

"Ummm...I can't understand what you're saying. All I hear you saying is 'Gallade' over and over again."

Rick remembered and gave a dumb laugh before turning on his Poketch, then saying

"Sorry about that. What I said was that yes it was me. I'm happy to see that you and A here have become friends again." Green nodded and said

"Well, I thank you very much for the new chance at life, and the new chance to be friends with A again." Rick dipped his head and told her

"You are very welcome. However, the credit must go to Arceus; he could have denied my request at any moment."

A immediately thought of another thing he forgot to do and said to Green

"Green, that's Warlord Aeruthael. He's our gracious host and the one that's providing for me while I reside here."

Green nodded and said to Rick

"Well, it's an honor to meet you."

Rick bowed his head and replied

"The honor is all mine."

Green asked A

"And who are the ones around him?"

A looked at them all, gathered his thoughts, then told her

"Well the Gardevoir to his right is his fiancé and the princess of this city, Lady Alara. The Gallade and Gardevoir to his left Lady Alara's parents, the Chief and the Queen."

Green looked wide-eyed at them, and then curtsied to show her respect. Rick waved her off and said

"Don't worry, they're easy going. You're not insulting them by not bowing." Green straightened up and said

"Well, I just wanted to show them my respect. I didn't think I would be in front of royalty." Rick shrugged and told her

"You get used to it after a while."

A soldier suddenly appeared next to Rick with a report paper, which he handed to Rick. Rick read over the report, laughed, and looked at A.

"You broke your wall? How on earth did you...Don't answer that, I just read it."

A sweatdropped and laughed nervously while scratching the back of his head, saying

"When you're depressed, you do a lot of stupid things." Rick nodded his head and said

"Well that's true. I'm not going to dwell on this any other. It will be repaired in a moment's notice." A nodded and told him nervously

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll pay you back for the wall." Rick shook his head and said

"No need! I have enough money to build that den many times over. No charge." Rick wrote an order and snapped his fingers, summoning a soldier. He gave the report to the soldier and dismissed him. He looked back at the two humans and said to them

"Alright, so now to tell you why I summoned both of you."

A smirked and said

"I was wondering when we would get to this." Rick smirked and said

"Yeah, sorry for the wait. Anyways, today is Jean's birthday."

"Oh is it?" He turned to look at Jean

"Happy birthday!"

Jean replied

"Thanks A!"

Rick continued.

"You see, he wanted ALL of us to do something together. So he decided that we should go camping. But what do you say?"

A pulled Green aside and began to speak with her.

"What do you think? Goin' on a sort of mini-adventure? Camping out on the ground again?" Green smiled and said

"That sounds fun! I haven't done anything like that for a long time! Besides, there's not much to do in your home." A winced a bit, then turned back to Rick and told him

"We'd like that. We grew up traveling and camping out in our adventures. So doing this will be a walk down memory lane to us." Rick raised an eyebrow and said

"That went by better than I thought." A then asked him

"So when do we leave?"

"This afternoon. So I'm ordering all the camping equipment I can get."

"How are we getting to the campsite? Are we using the Mercury?"

Rick chuckled and told him

"No need to use the Mercury on this. I have a little thing called Titan Avion." A raised an eyebrow and asked skeptically

"How are we going to pack our things on that thing?" Rick smirked and replied

"I have my ways." A shrugged noncommittally and said

"Alright then! Me and Green will return to the house and pack our things."

Rick stopped him and said

"No, worry about that later." He suddenly threw a bag at A, who caught it. A opened the bag and saw a slew of cash in it.

"There's $50,000. Take her shopping for clothes and whatever she needs. If you want to get something for the trip then get it with the money. Also..." Rick got up and walked up to Green. He then handed her a necklace and told her

"This is a Silph Co. official translator. It's still a prototype, but it can translate pokemon speech for you. However, it needs to be recharged everyday so that it continues to work. Also, here's the charger." He passed a charger to Green.

"Just take the battery out and place it in. You'll need electricity though, but A's sword has that covered for you while we're camping. We'll be camping for two nights, so be prepared to buy some stuff." A nodded and said

"Got it! Thanks! Let's go Green."

Green nodded and bowed her head in thanks to Rick. Rick waved goodbye at them and sat back down on his throne. A and Green left the throne room and looked around the area. Then Green took A by the hand and began leading him around, looking at the various things in the shops. A chuckled seeing the bright gleam in her eyes, and he asked her

"So, what do you want to get first?" Green looked at him in curiosity, then said musingly

"I'm not sure... what do you think?" A stifled his laughter and replied

"Well, if you can't decide right now, we might as well go and get some personal camping supplies." Green nodded and A got directions to the nearest General Store. Green's eyes were wide again as she saw the selections they had; everything from supplies to clothes, and even jewelry! A chuckled and thought

We might be able to do this in one trip."

They walked forward and began perusing the items, drawing attention from some of the other pokemon in the store. Green shifted uncomfortably while A rolled his eyes, having gotten used to it at this point. Soon they had sleeping bags and tents, as well as some traveling clothes for Green. They walked up to the counter and set their purchases down on the counter. The Gardevoir behind the counter tallied it up and A paid with the money given to them by Rick. The supplies were bagged up and Green walked over to the jewelry portion of the store, taking a while to go over everything while A stood off to the side, holding on to their current purchases.

He grinned as he watched her, and soon she summoned him, presumably for his advice. A gulped a bit, never having had experience in this manner before. She held up two sets of earrings to each ear, asking

"I can't figure out which one is better. What do you think?" A smiled a bit, then observed each carefully, trying to make a decision. He soon pointed to the set on her left, a pair of earrings inlaid with emeralds and said

"Those. I think those are better." She observed them carefully, then asked

"Why?" A chuckled and responded

"They bring out your eyes better than the other pair, I think. Plus, they're very fitting, given your name. But you know, if you want both, we still have plenty of money to spare." Green grinned and said

"So it's okay?" A chuckled and said

"Sure. We're still on a budget, but that budget's admittedly pretty high. So go ahead and get them both if you want to." Green threw her arms around him and said

"Thank you." A paused, stunned for a moment, before saying softly

"You're welcome" while also thinking

"I seriously owe that Gallade now, but I'll discuss that later. For now, I have a feeling my load is far from over."

For the next couple of hours, the two humans roamed throughout the stores the top den had to offer, Green grabbing some dresses along the way, also getting some ceremonial suits for A at her insistence. By the time they were finished, A was weighted down with a multitude of bags with various store names on them. He didn't mind though; seeing Green's glowing smile made it worth the trouble.

They returned to the 22nd den where they dropped off their supplies and Green began associating herself with A's pokemon more, using her new translator. She was vastly interested in the various personalities they each displayed, but with one thing in common; their love and respect for A, the trainer who had saved many of them from horrible fates.

Soon A had everything they needed packed and ready to go, and he bid his pokemon goodbye for the time they would be away. They all bid him farewell in return, and on the journey to Rick's house, Green remarked to A

"I'm amazed you were able to care for so many pokemon at once, and to get them all to love you the way they do." A shrugged and responded

"It gets easier over time. You learn every day, and since every day I was with my pokemon, I learned quickly about them. We have a mutual trust/love relationship. They trust me with their lives, some of which I've saved, even as I trust them with my life. It's one of the reasons, I think, that Arceus chose me to become his White Knight." Green looked at him in admiration and said

"That must be quite a proud position to hold." A chuckled and replied

"It certainly has its perks, I'll admit that. This sword, for instance" he said, motioning to Savior.

"I never dreamed, once in my life, that I would hold a weapon of this magnificence or beauty." Green nodded but didn't say anything, since they had just arrived at Rick's house. After he had the whole tem gathered together, he led them to the gates of the Sanctuary, where Avion was waiting. Avion was apparently saddled and prepped to carry a heavy load.

A looked at Rick and asked "You saddled that thing?"

Rick chuckled and replied

"Yeah, I figured that it's best to take Avion since he doesn't need fuel to keep going. Besides, Avion needs to stretch his wings. I'm not going to recall him for the time we're camping. He'll be somewhat of a guardian for us while we're there." A nodded in agreement and said

"Good idea."

Maiyu suddenly ran forward towards Avion yelling

"Avion! It's so good to see you again!"

A sweatdropped and said to Rick

"You're just going to let her get close to that thing?"

Rick chuckled again, surprising A. Then he said

"Once you possess a Titan they become quite tame. Maiyu seemed to have kicked up a friendship with Avion. Look!"

A looked and saw Maiyu hug Avion's leg and Avion nuzzling her with its beak tenderly. When Maiyu felt him nuzzle her she turned around and hugged his beak. Avion gave a happy screech and lifted her up until she was sitting on his head.

A gave a sigh of relief and observed to Rick

"Wow, it's pretty docile now. And to think, it was trying to kill us a month and a half ago."

Rick patted his back and walked forward to Avion. They then heard Maiyu ask

"Let's go! Avion wants to fly. Don't you boy?" Avion gave a happy shriek again; "That's a yes!"

Rick looked back at the team and said

"All aboard the giant bird...guardian...thing."

With that Avion lowered his head and let the team mount its back. Once everyone got situated safely on its back and all the gear and bags put in its cargo bags, Avion prepped itself for flight. Everyone held onto Avion's back spikes as he began to flap his wings and lifted himself off the ground. Avion then flew off towards the camping area. After twenty minutes, Avion was beginning to fly over the camping area and the Mt. Coronet mountain range.

Green held tightly to A during the trip, to which A was, well, up on cloud nine, to say the least. After all, how else would you feel when the girl of your dreams holds onto you, even if only for safety?

Rick looked down at a clearing in the forest and said to Avion

"Down there Avion!"

Avion chirped and descended into the clearing. Avion landed quickly and lowered his head so the team could dismount. Everyone quickly got off and took everything out of Avion's pack.

Maiyu hugged Avion before getting off, by sliding down his long tail and being caught by A.

Rick then said to Avion

"Alright Avion, you can remain out for the duration of the trip. Go ahead and fly around. I'll call you when I need you."

Avion chirped and flew off into the mountains, leaving the team to unpack.

A turned to the team and said

"Alright, let's set up!" He then put Maiyu on the ground, who hopped onto Alara's shoulders. He took his and Green's supplies, soon realizing he had accidentally only packed one tent. He facepalmed and thought

"Oh well, I've slept under the stars before." Green looked at him with some concern but quickly began to help set up the camp at large. Once everything was finished, A and Green walked together toward a nearby creek, and Green asked him

"So, what would you say one of your funnier adventures had to be?" A placed a hand to his chin in thought, then said

"Oh, here's a good one. It actually happened here in Sinnoh. Alright, so I was walking along in Pastoria City some seventy-five, seventy-eight years ago, when I notice this Altaria flying with difficulty. I realized that she was carrying a heavy load on her back. Interested, I followed her to a nearby warehouse, where she deposited the package and slumped on the ground. Then her owner, a real greedy... person, for want of not using strong language, began shouting at her to get up because she still had five more deliveries to go."

Green looked up at him in horror and said

"This doesn't sound funny at all!" A nodded and said

"It wasn't, at first, but don't worry. It gets better later." Green hesitated, then nodded for him to continue. He recollected his memories and picked up where he left off.

"I hated to see a sweet pokemon like that get abused in such a way. So I walk up behind the man, then I pushed him and shouted, 'Hey, what do you think you're doin' with my Altaria!'".

Green's eyes widened and she asked

"Was it yours?" A chuckled and said

"Not quite. In fact, prior to that, I had never seen so much as a Swablu. But I figured I could rescue her from this fate and possibly save her life." Green hesitated again, then asked

"When does this get funny?" A grinned and said

"Right here. So I begin to argue with him, and he shouts that he's going to get the authorities if I don't get the hell away already. Then I whip out my badge case, which had been full at the time and included my ribbon for defeating the Elite Four and current Champion, Cynthia, and shout out 'I AM the authority!'. His eyes get all buggy, and he starts stammering. Finally he hands over the pokeball she's trapped in and goes out of his way to make sure I don't take the incident to court." Green then started laughing hard, and A heard footsteps behind him. Upon turning, he saw Rick, Alara, and little Maiyu coming toward them. Then he said to them

"Well hello guys! Need anything?"

Rick replied

"No, we just wanted to check on you and Green. How is she holding out so far?" A shrugged and replied

"Well it'll take some time for her to get used to living among pokemon, but she's okay so far. The translator you gave her helps out a lot." Rick nodded and said

"Good to hear. Be careful, it doesn't live for very long. The battery dies very quickly. So she should just use it when she really needs to." A questioned

"How long does it live for?" Rick scrunched up his eyes in thought, then said

"I give it four hours before it beeps, which tells you that it'll be dying soon." A nodded and said

"So I guess I should translate for her every now and then?" Rick nodded and responded

"Yeah. Don't worry, the people in Sanctuary can just talk to her telepathically, but it's somewhat of a pain. That's why I gave her the translator. So she can communicate."

Green then said

"I'll keep that in mind. However, I like being able to speak to you guys directly. It makes me feel a little less lonely." Rick raised an eyebrow and asked

"Lonely? A's here." Green nodded and amended

"True, but I love to interact with a lot of people." Rick grinned and told her

"Well there's no shortage of people here for you to interact with."

Green smiled at Rick and said

"I can see that." She suddenly noticed Maiyu.

"Oh! I didn't notice her earlier today."

Rick arched an eyebrow and asked

"Who?" Green pointed at Maiyu, but not rudely, and replied

"The Kirlia on your mate's shoulder. Is she your daughter?" Rick's face lit up in understanding, and he said

"Oh no! She's my baby cousin Maiyu. She wasn't with us earlier today. Me and Alara went to pick her up at her house. We now tend to not leave the Sanctuary without her. However she is like a little sister to me or a daughter. Me and Alara just love her so much."

Green looked at Maiyu and held out her hand to her, saying

"Hello there Maiyu! My name is Green." Maiyu ducked her head behind Alara's shoulder. Green then said

"Oh I won't hurt you. You can trust me. You trust A, don't you? You can trust that I won't hurt you, either."

Maiyu lifted her head out from behind Alara's shoulder and jumped to the ground in front of Green. Maiyu inched her way into Green's open arms. Green picked her up and cradled her.

Green giggled and said to Maiyu

"See? Nothing to worry about. I'm not a mean person."

Maiyu finally said

"I guess not, but time will tell." Maiyu stopped to sense her emotions

"You're confused. Why?"

Green was immediately surprised.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I can tell by your emotions. I can also sense that you have a..." Rick immediately closed her mouth with Psychic.

Rick said to her

"Maiyu, what did I tell you about diving through the emotions of others without their permission?"

Maiyu began to speak, but she was still muffled by Rick's Psychic. Rick sighed and dismissed it letting her respond

"Not to do it. Sorry!"

"It's okay Maiyu, but remember what I told you." Maiyu hung her head and said

"I can't help it. My powers are still developing. I just pick up the emotions when I'm near someone."

"I'll have to teach you how to control that. Come on! Let's go get housed in our tent. We'll see you later A and Green."

A replied

"Alright sir, bye!"

"Goodbye!"

He and Green focused their attention back on the other side of the creek, amazed by the forestry. A said in passing

"You know, it never ceases to amaze me the wonders this world has to offer, and the fact that none of this has to exist at all." Green looked at him and said

"Well, I'm sure Arceus would have done it one way or another." A chuckled and said

"Sorry, when I look at something like this, I tend to get philosophical. If it helps, you can just ignore me when I get that way. It's helped some of my pokemon, I can tell you that much." Green giggled and nestled up to him, causing him to blush a bit, and she said

"I don't mind. During my middle-aged life, I had a tendency to wonder about life too. Especially when my pokemon began to leave, one way or another. It's hard to watch all of your friends get like that." A's grin faded and he said

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. But to be honest with you, I think we discussed this topic at the beach, and it only depresses me. Why don't we go back to camp? It's starting to get dark." Green nodded and they went back. There was already a fire, and both he and Green moved to sit by it. After a moment, Green moved close to him, sidling up to him. He tensed slightly and blushed, hoping nobody could see it.

"Geez, what's wrong with me? I should be having the time of my life here, but instead I get all nervous when she gets this close. Granted, I didn't strike up any relationships of this nature after I gave up looking for her, but I'm one of the top trainers in the world! I shouldn't be getting so nervous; she doesn't belong to anybody, she has no criminal history. So what's wrong with me?"

Rick returned to camp with Maiyu and Alara in tow. They sat together and Rick made a s'more for Maiyu. She ate it after Rick warned her about cooling it down first, and when she had finished the sticky concoction, she asked

"Can I have another?" A laughed and teased her, saying

"Hey little lady, leave some for us to enjoy!" Everybody laughed, and the atmosphere proved jovial for a while. Then Jean tossed a guitar at Rick and said

"Go ahead and play something, Rick." Rick nodded and tuned the guitar to his taste, then began strumming a light tune away. The atmosphere settled further and A relaxed noticeably, which prompted Green to rest her head on his shoulder, which caused him to blush harder. He had the distinct impression that Rick was laughing at him mentally, but he chose to not let it bother him.

Once Rick was finished, some of his other team members pulled out instruments of their own, and Rick switched the guitar for a violin. They began playing together, sounding discordant at first. But as they each got into the rhythm of what they were doing, their quality improved vastly. A was actually impressed that they could make such music with a diverse set of instruments. When they finished, they began laughing, which became infectious as he and Green joined in.

He and she began to chat softly for a while, not about anything in particular. Soon Rick stood and said

"Well guys, I'm off to bed. Tomorrow, we're going hiking...or whatever you guys want to do."

Sage then asked

"Wait, who's rooming with who?" Rick grinned and said

"Well I know with whom I'm rooming with. All couples together and the rest should play the dice game. A and Green, you will be rooming together."

A then replied nervously

"Why?"

"Because you're the only humans and she can't communicate with us without your help or the use of the translator. So she should stay near you." A nodded, accepting the argument and saying

"I understand. Alright, goodnight!"

"Goodnight!" Rick turned to everyone else.

"Goodnight everybody! I have to take Maiyu here to a bed." He said as he pointed to a sleeping Maiyu, who was asleep in Alara's arms.

Green "awed", making A smile. Then they both rose and made for the tent they would be sharing. Was it chance they only had one packed away, or was there some other force at work? A shook the thought out of his head and waited outside while he waited for Green to change into her nightclothes. Then she waited for him as he did the same, and soon they both had their sleeping bags set up, not too far away from each other. A was feeling nervous about this, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel some elation. Green turned to him and said

"Well, good night A. I guess we'll be talking more tomorrow, maybe along the hike or whatever." A nodded and put out the small light they had been given, saying to her

"Good night, Green. Sleep tight."

The next morning, A and Green woke up at the same time, which they both wound up laughing about. They waited for each other to be fully dressed, then went to get some breakfast. Soon Green wanted to go on a walk, and A was more than happy to oblige her. They roamed around, and soon her feet were asking for a break, so they lay on their backs, looking toward the open sky. Then Green said

"Hey A?" He looked lazily over to her and merely made a questioning sound.

"Hmm?"

"Tell me about your family. And I mean beyond your pokemon. I've brought it up before, but you always avoided the topic." A looked back up into the sky, sighing heavily and telling her

"I had my reasons for doing that. It's rather... painful to think about. One of the masters who trained me managed to help me overlook my guilt about the whole thing, but I still can't ignore the pain. Are you sure you want to know?" Green propped herself up on her elbows and said

"Absolutely. No one should have to deal with pain alone. Come on, what happened?" A smiled and thought

"Ah, that's why I love her. She goes out of her way to help others, especially when she knows they're hurting about something. I really must thank Arceus later for resurrecting her." Then he said

"Well, okay..."

He began to tell her his story, how his father had died when he was just a child, leaving him an Eevee who would become Umbra later. Then he told her about his mother, what she had been like and how she often would be scared stiff about him. Finally he told her about Jovi, which seemed to delight Green, until he told her the story about her demise. He couldn't look at her, since A was still convinced it was his fault. Soon Green said softly

"A, look at me." A slowly turned his head to face her, and she said, still in a soft voice

"You're not at fault. Nor is she. Neither of you had any way of knowing what would happen, and you shouldn't beat yourself up for not being able to control such forces. These things sometimes happen, and I know it must hurt. But you know-" she smiled and said a bit more firmly this time

"I don't think either your mother or Jovi would blame or hate you for it. You don't need to face it alone, either. If something's bothering you, you should tell me." A was touched, but he said

"That's very nice of you. But why are you interested? We never talked much when we were going up against Team Rocket, and we've only been reacquainted for a few days now. And suddenly you tell me that I should tell you everything. Now, I'm not opposed to that-" he amended himself before he made her angry, propping himself up also.

"But I want to know why you take such an interest in me, despite these barriers." Green blushed and stammered

"W-well, I just... thought it would be... nice... if we could, you know... break those barriers... get to know each other better... if you don't, though..."

A interrupted, saying

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I didn't say that. I was just curious why you seemed so interested in me, that's all." Green smirked mischievously and said

"Don't you know curiosity killed the Meowth?" A chuckled and retorted

"No, stupidity killed the Meowth; curiosity was framed." Then he and Green began laughing loudly, and A felt freer than he had in a while. Just a few months ago, he was criticizing Rick and his team because they had been joking and cavorting about, yet here he was doing the exact same thing. And despite himself, he enjoyed it!

Then he and Green got back up and began walking through the forest, enjoying the sights and each other's company. A heard some rustling nearby, and wondered what it was. He walked over to the source of the noise, but no sooner than he did he found himself at sword-point, specifically Shadowbane. He froze as Rick pinned him momentarily. When Rick realized who he was pinning down, he quickly released A, who began rubbing his neck and said to Rick

"What the hell man!?"

"A? Sorry. I thought you were someone else." A frowned and asked

"Who?"

A roar then came from the trees and tentacles shot out and ripped many of the trees off the ground. A large monster ripped its way through the trees, stunning A, with Green cowering behind him.

Rick whistled and began to move back quickly. Before he hauled ass he said to A

"That thing. Project Omega. Hauling ass bye!"

Rick immediately took off running and Omega ran after him, passing A and Green, leaving them wondering what just happened. Suddenly they saw Ashlyn and Dartz running out of the forest.

Ashlyn saw A and Green and asked A

"Have you seen Rick and a hulking beast running through here?"

A replied

"Yes, they ran towards the mountains. What's going on?"

"Don't worry about it." She turned to Dartz and said

"Dartz go back to the camp and tell the others what's going on. I'm going to stop Omega."

Dartz nodded and ran towards the campsite. Ashlyn followed the trail and hoped to find Rick and Omega. A was left trying to piece together what was happening. He then noticed Wayland walking towards them.

Wayland asked A

"What was that roar I heard?"

A shrugged and responded

"Rick was being chased by some sort of monster." Wayland's eyes grew wide and he shouted

"Damn! Omega! I'm going to go see if he needs help." A shook his head and told him

"No! Stay here with Green. I'll go check it out." Wayland hesitated, then nodded and said

"Alright, but be careful."

A nodded and then said to Green

"If anything happens, go back to the campsite. Don't worry, I'll be okay."

A ran suddenly disappeared and left Wayland with Green. He jumped from tree branch to tree branch, following the destructive force of the next monster he was going to take on. A began to wonder if he was insane doing this, but his thoughts were cut short with the resounding sound of breaking rock, shortly followed by the roar of Omega. A dashed faster toward it and soon saw what looked like a hole in a mountainside. He winced as he imagined what it must have felt like to go through that.

Then he dashed in and spotted Rick being held up in midair by some weird tentacles coming from Omega's back. The monster was charging a dark beam of energy and aiming it directly at Rick. A quickly drew Savior and began unleashing a multitude of elemental attacks on it, whereupon it screamed in pain.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! What the he...OW!" Omega turned and roared at A, "Who the hell are you!?"

A replied to Omega while lifting up his weapon

"The name's A! And I'm guessing you're Project Omega? At least that's what Rick told me." The beast roared at him

"You have no business here! Away with you insect!"

Rick said to A

"A, you don't stand a chance against Omega. Get out of here!"

A glared at Rick and replied

"We wouldn't know until we test my power out against this thing." Rick sighed and said

"I'm warning you, but go ahead and try."

Omega growled and said

"Fine! I'll take both of you on."

A scoffed and jumped into the air to slash down on Omega. Omega, however, took Rick and threw him at A, knowing both at the cave wall.

Rick growled at A, who was underneath him

"When I tell you to back off, I mean back off! I have more experience battling Projects."

A pushed Rick off of him and got up, asking

"What are Project anyways? And I doubt they're that strong if they are man-made."

Rick growled again at A and said

"Listen here! I don't have the time to explain this to you. You won't stay conscious from one hit from Omega. It's stronger than me." Rick then calmed down

"Listen, the tension is high, just try to be careful." A nodded and said

"Understood, sorry for yelling sir."

Omega got their attention, shouting

"Hey Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dumbass!"

Rick and A looked at Omega and managed to barely dodge two sharp crystals that Omega threw at them. A stuck Savior into the ground and created braces made of earth to hold Omega still while Rick went at it. Rick ran forward and struck it with a Focus Punch. Rick said to A

"Nice thinking!"

A replied

"Thanks! I thought that might help! Look out!"

Rick looked back at Omega and dodged an attack from the tentacles. Rick fired a Signal Beam to keep the tentacles at bay, while A struggled to keep Omega pinned to the ground with Savior. After a few moments of a struggle, Omega gave a mighty heave and freed itself from the ground brace and fired a beam at A, knocking him back.

Rick tried to slash Omega to protect A from the raging beast, but was kicked back almost immediately. Omega then tangled up A in her tentacles and slammed him onto Rick.

A asked Rick

"Any bright idea? We're getting our asses handed to us."

Rick said

"Well I do have a 'bright' idea. But I'll need you to distract Omega for a few moments so I can summon the power to use the ability. It's called Rising Sun and it supposedly weakens Omega or hurts it." A thought for a moment, then asked

"So I just have to distract the beast?"

"Yep." A cracked his knuckles and neck, saying

"Alright, it shouldn't be too hard considering that it just kicked both our asses with little effort."

"Fine, let's just keep going the same way we've been fighting."

"But that hasn't helped."

"So it's either plan A or plan B."

"I'd rather do plan A then."

"Alright. Be careful, if I see that you can't handle it, I'll help."

"Thanks."

Rick summoned Sovereign and began to concentrate, while A jumped to the opposite end of the cave.

A took a deep breath and got Omega's attention by striking it with a fireball. Omega slowly turned around and glared at A. A suddenly vanished and repeated the process a couple of times. Omega eventually caught on to the pattern and vanished as well, shocking A.

A suddenly heard a growl behind him and instinctively bowed his head to dodge the claw attack from Omega. A scrambled away from the beast and fired more attacks towards Omega, only succeeding in enraging it more and more. A kept the process going until Omega wrapped one of its tentacles around A's legs and dropped him to the ground. Omega then stood over him and drew its claws.

A suddenly heard Rick yell

"A close your eyes!" A complied and Rick used the ability.

Sovereign began to glow brightly and then fired a ball of light at a point in the cave, enveloping the room in a bright light. Omega roared in pain and staggered to stay standing.

Unexpectedly, Rick fell to his knees gasping for breath and the light ball shattered, leaving Omega panting from the pain. A slowly opened his eyes and saw the scene before him. He staggered up to his feet and went to check up on Rick.

He asked Rick

"Sir, are you okay?"

Rick replied

"I thought I could have held the ability. But I was only fooling myself."

"Sir, don't worry about it. You hurt Omega. It's incapacitated."

Rick raised his head and looked at Omega. His eyes shot open and he yelled

"Look out!"

A looked and was unable to dodge a monstrous punch from Omega. The punch made him fly through the mouth of the cave and land many yards away, near Green and Wayland, unconscious. Green immediately went to check on him, but Wayland decided to take him to Anna to have him healed.

He teleported them all back to the campsite and helped Green carry A's unconscious body back to the medical tent, Wayland explaining the situation as best he could. Soon Anna began working on him with Green close by. Anna insisted she go and relax, but she didn't want to leave A's side right now. She blushed as this occurred, but remained strong.

Within the next hour, things had settled down commensurately. Ashlyn had come and gone, and her mate approached Green and asked

"Hey Green, how is he?"

Green replied

"Your friend Anna told me that he has a concussion and some bruising from the fall. However, he's supposed to be okay in the morning. He's been sleeping peacefully for a while now." Dartz nodded and said

"That's good to hear."

Green suddenly gasped when a glowing red 'A' appeared on A's forehead. Dartz saw it and walked over to check it.

Green asked him

"What's going on with him?" Dartz shook his head slowly and said

"I think I know, but I'm hoping I'm wrong." Green narrowed her eyes at him and said

"I need more of an explanation than that."

Dartz suddenly said

"You should get some sleep. You've had a long day. Don't worry, when you wake up everything should be normal. Don't tell anyone about this though."

"Why?" Green asked worriedly.

"I'd rather Rick not know about this." Green hesitated, but soon complied.

"Alright, but what are you going to do?" Dartz looked at A and told her

"I'm going to view his dream through his mind. We Dark types can do that and my minimal psychic abilities help improve the skill."

Green nodded and lay down on her sleeping bag. She then said

"Please make sure that he'll be okay." Dartz nodded and said

"I will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

With that Green drifted off to sleep and Dartz concentrated on entering A's subconscious.

A's dream;

A and Green were sitting on a bench in Cerulean City, having just enjoyed a fabulous dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants the city had to offer. A sighed in contentment as he draped an arm over Green's shoulders, and she snuggled into him.

"So, how did you like dinner?" A asked her. She giggled and replied

"It was magnificent. I think this anniversary is going off well." She and A had been married for five years to date; five of the happiest years of A's life, and of hers.

"Well, it doesn't end there" A told her. She looked up at him in surprise and asked

"Oh? What else do you have in store for me?" A smiled and held up a blindfold, telling her

"It's a surprise, and I don't want to ruin it." Getting the hint, Green put the blindfold on, and after A was certain that she couldn't see, he began to guide her through the city, ignoring the stares they got. He suspected that Green could feel them, though, as she was shifting uncomfortably.

"It feels so strange walking around without being able to see" Green remarked, turning her head to try and see around the blindfold. A squeezed her shoulder lightly and gently told her

"Don't worry, I'm here for you, and I always will be, even if I'm on a mission." Green reached up and brushed his hand, smiling and saying

"I know you will."

For the next ten minutes, A guided her through the city and over the golden bridge, aiming for a special destination. After they had arrived, A positioned Green perfectly, then said

"Alright, you can see it now." Green fumbled with the blindfold for a moment, then looked at her surroundings. She discovered that he had taken her to Cerulean Cape, one of her favorite places, and he had positioned her so she could see the sunset, one of her favorite times. She gasped at the brilliance the setting sun had on the clear ocean, and A asked her

"Do you like it?" She turned to him and threw her arms around him, shouting

"I love it! You prepared this surprise ahead of time, didn't you?" A smiled and said

"Guilty as charged. I would do anything for you, you know. I love you." Green giggled and blushed, but said seductively

"Why don't you show me just how much you love me?" A chuckled and placed his hands lovingly around his wife, and they both closed their eyes and leaned in. When A didn't feel her lips against his, however, he opened his eyes and saw Green wasn't there. He whirled around in an attempt to find her, shouting

"Green?! Where are you?! Where did you go?!" Suddenly the scenery began to dissolve around him, and he whipped Savior out of its sheath, still turning and trying to find Green. The ground shifted beneath him and he pitched forward, shouting in surprise. He adjusted his weight and landed on the ground with his feet. When he looked up, he saw he was no longer on Cerulean Cape. In fact, he didn't believe he was in Kanto anymore. Surrounding him was a mess of dead, blackened trees. A went to inspect one and saw they were still solid, just dead.

"Hello?" he called out, "Can anybody hear me? Green, are you here?"

He received no answer, so he began to walk through the trees. The scenery didn't change, though, so he began to mark the trees so he wouldn't get lost. But after he had made the tenth cut, something caught his attention. He watched as the tree healed itself, despite its dead appearance. After looking further, he realized his trail had disappeared.

"What in the Distortion World is going on?" A wondered aloud.

"Maybe I could help" a familiar voice said, and when A turned, he saw his first friend, the one he missed dearly, standing before him, looking as young as the day he evolved.

"Umbra?" A asked softly but incredulously. The Umbreon nodded and said

"Good to see you too, Michael." A motioned around him and asked

"Am I dead?" Umbra chuckled and said rather darkly

"No, not yet. Just follow me, okay?"

A raised an eyebrow, but he was not about to repute his friend when they had just met back up.

"Okay," A said "lead the way." Umbra turned without a word and began walking along through the trees, looking like he knew exactly where he was going. After several moments of uncomfortable silence, A genially asked

"So, how have you been? Life treating you well?" Umbra didn't answer but kept on walking. A was perplexed. Even when he hadn't been able to understand him, at least not fully, Umbra never missed an opportunity to speak with him. So to do so now was confusing. More time passed as they walked, and A tried again.

"Have you found anything interesting along your travels?" Umbra still didn't talk to him, and A asked

"Umbra, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Finally, Umbra responded harshly

"You'll see when we get there." A stopped in place, shocked. Then he said

"Umbra, what's going on with you? This isn't like you at all. Have I done something?" Umbra looked at him directly, his red eyes flashing, and he said coldly

"The answers you seek lie ahead. Come."

A followed him until the trees began to spread apart a bit, then Umbra led him into a clearing, saying

"This is what you have done wrong." It was a scene out of A's worst nightmare; all of his pokemon lay dead in front of him, some bleeding profusely, others in various stages of rot. A shouted in horror, then ran to a few, trying to rouse them. He worked especially on Rose, despite that her body was severely decayed. He stopped when she fell apart, and he scrambled away from her, toward the forest and vomited. After he was finished, he looked at the scene again and felt dry heaves, but he could expel no more from his body. Then he looked at Umbra, who was walking to the middle of the field, surrounded by the corpses of his team. Umbra looked at him then, his eyes flashed again, and he began to grow old once more; it looked like he was dying right in front of A's eyes.

"Why, Michael? Why did you let us all die like this? You could have done something about it, but you just stood there and watched us die. I trusted you to watch over them, and my children, but it seems I was mistaken to trust you in the first place. It seems I made a grave error in giving watch of my children over to you." A had tears in his eyes as he shouted

"No, it's not like that at all! I don't even know what you're talking about! You know I would rather die myself than watch all of my pokemon die!" Umbra laughed scornfully, and the dead pokemon surrounding him, to A's horror, began to laugh with him. Then Umbra hissed as he fell to the ground, dead,

"Then how is it that you stand and we do not? You are the one at fault here! It is because of you that we all lie dead here, and if you had never entered our lives, we wouldn't be this way!" A covered his ears and screamed in emotional agony and horror, then he ripped Savior out of its sheath and shouted to the general area at the top of his lungs

"WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?! I SWEAR WHEN I FIND YOU, YOU WILL FIND NEW MEANING FOR THE WORD PAIN!"

"Oh, is that right? And just what do you think you can do to me, whelp?"

A whirled around and saw a shadow behind him. A pointed his sword at the shadow and asked

"Are you the one who killed all my friends, you bastard?!" The shadow laughed derisively and said

"Weren't you listening to your friend? You are the cause of their demise! But don't worry, you'll soon join them. Of course, I wouldn't depend on their forgiveness when you reach them." A reacted and fired an inferno at the shadow. It simply passed through it, and the shadow laughed again, saying

"Despite your training, you aren't thinking clearly. Don't you know shadows are insubstantial? Bah, no matter. Even if that weren't the case, you could not hope to match me. The irony of this place is that I cannot be destroyed here, since this is your mind. You, on the other hand, are at my mercy. Too bad for you I don't have any." A ignored this and began dashing to and fro through the shadow, striking with various elements. For five minutes he did this, executing all sorts of complicated maneuvers. When he finished, he stood in the same place and watched incredulously as the shadow made no movements. In fact, nothing had happened, as if A had never moved against it at all.

"What did I say to you, weakling Arceus Knight? I cannot be defeated in here! This isn't your nightmare, it is my reality! You can do this again and again, but it will be the same song and dance. And this is a tango you can't dance!" A growled and replied

"Bastard! It doesn't matter how much I have to do it, I will hit you until you no longer stand!" The shadow snorted and said

"Oh? So what if I don't stand? What if I crawl?" The shadow's form shimmered and crawled, and after a short period, the shadow was revealed as a large spider, slightly larger than an Ariados.

"Crawl into my web, said the spider to the fly." A narrowed his eyes and retaliated

"Do you know what happens to spiders when you put them into a fire? They die, just like everything else!" He slashed Savior in the direction at the enemy, releasing a torrent of flames. The spider didn't move; instead it replied

"If everything dies with fire, then you are no exception." Webbing emanated from both ends of the spider, and a shiny mirror was created in front of the spider. The mirror absorbed the attack, then threw it back at A, who barely managed to dodge. He growled in frustration, and the spider said

"What's wrong? A little singed? Haven't you learned? You can't burn a demon; hellfire is natural to us." Suddenly, tight bands restricted A's movements, and he saw very thin but strong webs surrounding his body, nearly invisible.

"And now, a little roach is nothing but lunch." A growled again and shouted

"Damn it, do I have to say it again?! I will not stop until you learn a new meaning for pain! But I suppose if that has to be heartburn, then come and get it, you son of a bitch!" The spider chuckled and crawled its way toward him. When it was merely five feet away, A ripped out of the webbing and stabbed Savior in its direction.

The spider began to laugh and transformed into Rose, and A impale the imposter with Savior. A stood in horror. Then he shook his head, shouting

"No, I won't fall for it! You're nothing more than a manipulative monster, relying on the fear of others to survive." A stared the imposter deep into the scarlet eyes it was currently using and said

"Without that, you are nothing more than a pathetic weakling, and I'll prove it." A pulled his sword out of 'Rose' and jabbed to the monster's head. Savior skewered the imposter in the head, and it screamed, ominously sounding like Rose. 'Rose' fell to the ground and the monster appeared next to A. Then it looked down at the scene, saying to A

"That was brutal. Don't tell me that you thought that was me. How heartless! I wonder, you refuse to kill pokemon, so why would you do that? That wasn't me."

A whirled around and slashed at his foe, yelling

"Because you only prey on fear! I know in my heart that isn't really Rose, and none of my pokemon are gone, except for Blitz and Umbra! And to make sure that never happens, I will kill you here and now!"

"Oh?" The monster began to laugh, and then it said sarcastically

"You're just too smart to fall under my illusions, aren't you? But what if I bring someone that isn't part of this? I drew you into this dream, and I can draw 'her' in as well." It then closed its wings, then opened them revealing a startled 'Green'.

"You can't say she's not real. Just watch." He slapped 'Green', making her cry out and bleed from her nose. A darted forward and grabbed Green, slashing at his enemy at the same time.

"Even if she isn't real, you still won't win over me. Good doesn't always triumph over evil; I'm not naive. But you won't win this." The monster snorted again and said

"In case you keep forgetting, you don't have the strength to take me down. I'm the perfect Rocket Project. I outmatch the power of the Arceus Knights themselves. But you will not win this fight!" A positioned Savior above his head and behind his body, saying

"I forgot nothing, I'm simply going to prove you wrong." Then he swung Savior down, striking the earth below him and sending an earthquake toward it.

The monster waited for a second, then stomped on the ground, dispelling the earthquake.

"How pathetic! Did you really expect a weak attack like that to harm me? Let me show you pain." The monster suddenly teleported in front of A and knocked Savior out of his hands. He unexpectedly grabbed A by his neck and slammed him through one of the trees. The monster, still holding his neck, stretched his arm to an incredible length and slammed A through many more trees before slamming him on the ground. A lay still for a moment, then chuckled and began to push himself up, saying

"You call that pain? I suffered far worse from a paper cut." A stood and spat blood to the ground.

"If you're going to fight, put up or shut up."

A summoned Savior back to his hand. The sword flew from its place on the ground, and when A had it securely in his hand, he fired a Dark Pulse at the monster. It stood in place and caught the dark twister in its hand; it morphed the attack into a ball, then forged it into a sword.

"Put up or shut up? I've been the one dealing blows so far." He suddenly vanished and reappeared slashing at A, who ducked under the slash. The force of the swing sliced an entire few acres of dead trees behind them. A covered Savior in electricity, secured his grip, then swung upward, shouting

"But you're not the only one who can!"

The monster smirked and let A's sword phase through him, as if he was a ghost. It began to laugh at A's failure, then taunted him.

"You're not going to hurt me in here. Either way, I already cut you." A regarded him with a confused look.

"You'll feel it soon." Suddenly A's shoulder exploded with blood.

A jumped back, grasping the shoulder but ignoring the pain. He transferred Savior to his right hand, saying

"This is my strong hand anyway."

He twirled Savior through the air, creating a hurricane, tearing up the trees and sending them all at his enemy. The monster began to grin, then started to spin in the air, creating a twister. The twister immediately smashed the trees into pieces, and the monster roared, directing the segments of trees towards A. A smirked and didn't move.

The segments tore through his body, and the remainder of his face smirked as he crumbled to earth and red water. The monster appeared surprised until he was skewered through his back. It turned to see that A threw his sword. A smirked and said

"You think you're the only one who can manipulate?"

A disappeared, reappearing behind Alpha and ripping his sword through him, then jumping back before it could retaliate.

The monster looked back at A, and then at his wound. He let the blood run until a hellhound appeared from the pool of blood.

"Get 'em boy!" the imposter shouted. The hellhound, crouched and leapt toward A. He secured his grip on Savior and began twirling around, holding his sword up and slicing the hellhound up. He stopped and smirked, then raised an army of earthen mannequins. His sword lit up, he pointed it at his enemy and shouted

"Charge!"

The monster cracked its neck and raised its right hand, stopping the mannequins in their tracks. He suddenly made his hand into a fist and the mannequins crumbled. It yawned and laid down on the air, then called out to A

"Hey Michael! When you begin to really fight, please tell me. I'm falling asleep here."

A vein pricked up on A's head, then he calmed down. He used Psychic on his sword to send the monster flying and dashed behind him, hitting it with Night Slash. The monster yawned again and stood up, brushing the dust off himself.

"Okay, looks like you're no fun anymore." It then pointed at A, who wondered what he was doing until he saw a black energy ball charging at the tip of his finger. A braced himself for the attack and saw a large black beam flying at him. A held his breath and took the hit after seeing that there was no dodging it. He covered his sword with an extra layer of steel and twisted his feet into the ground to gain leverage. Then he tilted his sword up as he was being pushed back, deflecting the worst of the move. He fell over from the energy exerted during the maneuver.

A got up off the ground in pain and opened his eyes to be met with a punch from the monster. It lifted him up and said

"You know, Arceus Knights are supposed to be powerful." It punched A again.

"You, on the other hand, are the weakest so far." It punched him again, this time making A cough blood.

"I don't see why Arceus chose you." This time it kicked A back onto the floor and pressed its foot onto his chest, then shouted

"Pitiful Arceus Knight, don't you understand?! All your efforts are for naught! I dwarf your power; your weak blade has been the instrument of your loss! You rely too much on a blade that hasn't completely accepted you yet!"

A stared daggers at Alpha, then spat blood in his face, with yet more defiance.

"Screw you. How could I expect you to understand matters that you don't take the time to look at? Real power isn't determined only by physical strength. It's also determined by one's willingness to stand up for themselves, their willingness to fight for those they hold close. But most importantly-"

A spat more blood in his face again, then continued

"It's determined by one's ability to never give up, no matter how grim the situation. Look at you; how many have fallen to your feet and begged for mercy? Hundreds? Thousands? Well, I'm breaking your streak. You'll never get me to give in, no matter what you do. This may be an old song and dance, but it doesn't matter to me; I've never been much of a dancer anyways. I refuse to play by your rules."

The monster wiped the blood off its face and took its foot off A's chest. It walked around him for a second, giving A a chance to catch his breath. Then it spoke again.

"Alright. Let's me guess, you think that you'll defeat me because you've faced bigger enemies before? Cipher and Team Rocket? Those fools are nothing compared to me. You believe that you may win this war by your will power. However, the fact of the matter is that you will lose." A staggered up to his feet and looked at the monster as it ran its claws through the fabric of space as it walked, causing the scenery change.

"Let me show you what the future has in store for you.

A summoned his blade to his hand again, and he began to hear the whispering in his ears and mind again.

"Whatever he shows you, remember that it is nothing more than an illusion. He believes that we are not connected. The truth is, you simply haven't found the right path to unlock your full power. You must be willing to hurt back, or else you can't keep your foe down. Remember those words."

Once the scenery changed A noticed that the area changed into a barren wasteland… if that was even possible. A noticed that they were in the middle of what looked like the Sanctuary, only that everything was destroyed and ravaged. There were corpses everywhere, mainly of Rick's team. The monster chuckled at the sight and led A to another area of the Sanctuary, where he saw the corpses of dead Ralts and Kirlias. A backed from the disturbing sight and threw up.

The monster laughed and said evilly

"This is a reality that you will have to accept. You will fail and all their lives will be at your fault. A reminder that no one is invincible, not even you and that ridiculous sword." It smirked.

"But the best is what happens to Green." A immediately glared at his foe.

"Oh yes, Team Rocket's shooting target." A immediately swung Savior at the monster, but it disappeared and reappeared behind A, saying

"Do you know how much blood she will shed? It surprises me how much blood such a young girl can carry." A whirled and shouted

"But it never surprises me how little a bastard such as yourself carries! And if you weren't scared of being hit by my sword, we'd see that! But you know as well as I do that you are too weak to deal with pain. Oh, you act high and mighty now, but what happens when you actually get hurt? Face me like a man, not a coward!" The monster smirked again and held its arms out wide, taunting

"Very well! Attack me, I won't move or dodge." A suddenly lunged forward and plunged Savior through its chest. The monster chuckled and said

"See? Nothing happened to me." It grabbed A's wrist.

"But I can't say the same for you." It immediately slashed A's chest with his claws. A retaliated by firing a beam through the monster's chest. It laughed and slashed him again. It then lifted A and threw him to a building, which shattered the scenery sending them back to the dead forest.

The monster appeared again and launched Savior out of its chest. The sword flew and spun through the air and stuck into the ground next to A. The monster walked up to the wounded A and brought out tentacles from its body. A lifted his head to look at the enemy and was whipped by the eight tentacles repeatedly. The tentacles then held A down and kept him away from Savior. The monster's' smirk disappeared as it charged another beam on its finger and pointed it at A's head, point blank.

A closed his eyes after he knew he couldn't fight the hold, and he contemplated how wasted his time as an Arceus Knight had been. He suddenly heard a snarl and opened his eyes to see the Umbreon from Rick's team tackling the monster, making him let go of A.

For the first time, the monster appeared irritated.

"You! I don't remember inviting you." He snarled and replied

"I don't need one to kill you!" He immediately attacked the monster, distracting it. While it was distracted, A grabbed his sword, covered it with fire, then swung at his foe, catching him by surprise and pushing him back in pain. Alpha suddenly retaliated by punching A in the head and making him roll back to his original location.

The monster and Dartz then lunged at each other and wrestled on the ground for a few seconds until it kicked Dartz off of him. Dartz landed next to A in a heap and asked him

"You okay?"

A laughed, either from the pain or from all the hits to his head

"I'm alright. Just a little beat. What are you doing here?"

"Green was worried so I came here to see what was going on with you. I didn't expect to ever see Alpha again though."

A said to him with a surprised tone

"You know what this thing is?"

"Yeah, he's called Alpha. He's the strongest Rocket Project. I'll explain that to you later. For now I have to beat him out of your head and reseal him."

A tried to stop him, saying

"You're not planning to fight him alone, are you?" Dartz shrugged him off and said

"I've done it in the past. I know how to fight him." Dartz suddenly turned into his human form and summoned his spear.

"I'll make it quick! You rest."

"How did you summon that spear?"

"I'm not answering questions. Stay out of the way A."

A nodded and rested while Dartz stepped forward and took a battle formation. Soon though, the battle was becoming intense, and A couldn't stand to wait around any longer, injuries or not. He grabbed Savior, which began to pulse in his hand. He looked at it in astonishment and felt a strange force push him back to the ground.

Then he heard the same voice, the one that had been plaguing him for a while now, ever since the team's battle against Avion.

"Do you remember my words, A? Tell me, are you willing to hurt this monster back?"

"Isn't that obvious enough already? I said I wanted to make it pay, and find a new meaning for pain! Who are you, anyway?"

"I am the very sword you wield. I was rather pleased with the name you bestowed upon me. It's quite fitting, given your nature and duty. But now we are getting off track. You are not powerful enough to defeat this monster, you realize that, yes?"

A growled and replied

"Of course I know it, but I don't want to stop! If only I could unlock Judgement, then I might stand a chance." The voice chuckled, then said

"Believe it or not, you have already twice activated Judgement on my blade." A's eyes widened and he said

"That's impossible! X told me my Battle Form would be unlocked when I used my ultimate attack! So why didn't that happen? And when did I use Judgement twice without realizing it?"

"You first used it in your battle against Avion. That electric attack you unleashed at the peak of your anger was certainly above your usual level. Surely you know that."

A stopped to think on that for a moment, then the voice, apparently Savior, continued.

"Your second use of Judgement was during your battle against Alpha. You summoned one of the strongest winds, a hurricane, and controlled it. That certainly takes power."

A thought for a few more seconds, then said

"Okay, but if I've used it twice already, then how has my Battle Form remained unlocked?"

"You've been holding yourself subconsciously back. You must let go, to accept the power that flows through you. You do not yet have the capacity to hold your form at length. We must finish this battle here, then I shall train you to your ultimate level, where you can hold your true Battle Form for any length of time you choose."

A breathed deeply, his wounds flaring up again, and he asked

"Okay, so how do I unlock it? I could really use it right now."

"Clear your mind like you never have before. It must be completely empty. Then, you shall feel my presence. My image may be revealed to you; I do not know on that point. However, it will be painful the first time. After that, it becomes much easier."

A took another deep breath and said

"Alright, here goes nothing." He closed his eyes and began to remove himself from reality. His pains, his worries, all his problems vanished. Then he felt something, something he couldn't get rid of. And it seemed to emanate from his sword.

A gasped as his eyes flew open; it felt like molten lead was being poured through his veins, and he worked hard to keep himself from shouting out in pain. He closed his eyes and heard a resounding CRACK!

He stood and opened his eyes, and he saw what appeared to be his true Battle Form. He could see that he was wearing highly polished silver plate armor, with his sigil stamped onto the chest piece. The armor would have been heavy, but A's immense strength allowed him to move around easily. He spotted a flash of white behind him, and upon looking he saw a long, white cape with silver trim. There appeared to be something else on it, but he couldn't quite figure out what. Finally he looked at the sword in his grasp, and he couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

Savior had transformed as well. Now it was a claymore, a very long one by the looks of it, almost four feet long total. The last six inches, give or take, of the blade bulged out in the shape of a diamond, and set into the exact middle of it was a diamond-shaped opal. A checked the cross guard and gasped again.

He saw the main opal, set into the cross guard, exactly where the blade and hilt met. It was far larger than before, and the pommel was now made of a thick, heavy disc of metal, presumably to balance the blade out. Although it was very long, and though it must have been heavy, A found he could easily hold it with one hand.

Alpha looked at him and roared

"NOT AGAIN!"

A didn't speak. Instead he challenged Alpha by pointing the claymore at him. Alpha roared again and lunged for A, who suddenly punched Alpha, launching him into a tree. Alpha jumped back on his feet and charged for A. A tilted his head and sighed. He stuck the claymore into the ground and a rock fist shot out of the ground and hit Alpha before he could reach A.

A grabbed Alpha's leg and slammed him on the ground multiple times before throwing him into the air and firing an ice blade at him, freezing his wings. A waited for a few seconds and began to count down.

"3...2...1". Once he finished Alpha crashed down hard onto the ground.

A walked up to Alpha and kicked him, forcing him to roll on the ground until he stood up. A lunged for Alpha and repeatedly slashed Alpha. Alpha fell on his back in pain, and A stood over him.

Alpha still defiantly laughed and taunted A, saying

"When did you grow a backbone?"

A growled and lifted his claymore to end Alpha, but suddenly his form shattered and he was left wondering what just happened. A then thought out loud.

"What happened!? I thought I could hold that battle form."

He looked down at Alpha who was now laughing and jabbed his claw through A's gut and began to lift him up. Alpha got up as well and said

"Oh your trump card just failed you. Nighty night you sham!"

Alpha charged a beam onto his finger and aimed it at A's heart. However, he was suddenly thrown off by a shadow blade from Dartz, who looked at Alpha and chuckled.

Dartz then said to Alpha

"I wouldn't do that."

"Oh? So the mangy mutt lives?"

"You'll be surprised. I needed some time to prepare."

"For what?"

"Look behind you."

Alpha looked back and saw his sarcophagus in the middle of the field.

"What!? How!? The Sealing Spell!"

Alpha looked back at Dartz and was met with a flying kick from the Umbreon. As he was kicking him Dartz yelled

"Never take your eyes off your enemy!"

Alpha staggered back and A managed to get on his feet. Dartz then said to A

"Hey A, want to help me with this?"

A looked at the sarcophagus and then at the staggered Alpha and nodded.

"Gotcha!"

They both then swung their weapons at A, baseball style, and they sent Alpha flying into the sarcophagus. The barbed wire in the sarcophagus held Alpha in place and the doors of the sarcophagus closed as Alpha was saying defiantly

"A, really soon you will make a mistake that will anger Arceus. You think yourself as so good; let's see how you react when the Judgement comes down at you!"

Dartz ran up to the sarcophagus and closed the doors yelling

"That's enough out of you!" He then sealed it shut and let out a sigh of relief while saying

"It's over!"

A walked up to Dartz and pat him on his back

"Thank you for saving me."

"I couldn't have just let you get killed. Then how could I have faced Green?"

A then sweatdropped and asked nervously

"Umm...by any chance were you here for the beginning of my dream?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'm keeping my mouth shut. I expect you to keep your mouth shut about this dream too. Trust me, don't speak of it." A nodded his head and replied

"Alright. Now what?" Dartz told him

"Wake up! I'll see you on the other side." Dartz then suddenly vanished. The scene turned black for him, and he felt lighter than air.

He burst up on the operating table, gasping for breath. He hurriedly checked his body over for the injuries he sustained during the battle, but found nothing.

"Then it really was just a dream." His attention was diverted as Green flung herself into his arms, hugging him tightly and saying

"Oh, thank Arceus! I was so worried that something had happened to you, something that couldn't have been fixed!" A smirked, than patted her on the back and said

"I'm fine. It was just a bad dream is all." She pushed herself back, and A's attention was caught as he spotted dried blood that came from her nose, and there was still some flowing, too.

"Green, when did you get a nosebleed?" A asked her. Green regarded him with confusion, then wiped at her nose. When she drew her hand back and spotted the blood, she flinched in surprise. Then she mumbled

"I didn't even feel my nose bleeding. I guess it had something to do with our altitude or something." A didn't say a word as he climbed out of the bed, worry filling the pit of his stomach. He remembered the scene from his dream, and he thought

"Was that a nightmare... or something else?"

Ta-da! So, what do you think of A's Battle Form? BTW, before anybody says anything, GalladeFenrir44 and I both worked on the Dream Battle. We had an equal part in it, with the exception of the very beginning. So there. Anyway, keep a sharp eye out for the next chapter, which I plan to get out soon! Cheers!


	35. Ch 35: A Sword's Assistance

**Hey ya'll, here's the next chapter I promised! This one again has no connection to The Blade And The Embrace; it's just a filler chapter, but hopefully an interesting one. **

When A and Green returned to the 22nd den, A wasn't surprised to see his pokemon waiting for him. And while that was touching, to say the least, he was particularly concerned about one of them right now. He searched through his line-up, but when he couldn't find her immediately, he went for the next best thing, though having to made him panic.

"Loran, where's Rose?" A asked his Gallade. Loran faced him and motioned to the house, saying

"She's resting inside right now. While you were away, she experienced some pain, and she's trying to recover."

A's blood nearly froze inside him, and he quickly ran inside, closely followed by Green. He ran to the room he knew Rose and Loran were using and knocked on the door, hoping she wasn't physically injured. Soon the door opened, revealing Rose looking slightly haggard, but otherwise fine**. **A sighed in relief and said

"Hello Rose. Can I speak with you?" She stepped aside and said

"Of course." A and Green walked in, and Rose sat back on her bed. Green took a nearby chair and turned on her translator so she could get in on the conversation if need be, but A was too high-strung to sit right now. He paced back and forth, trying to figure out how best to ask his question.

"What's wrong?" both Rose and Green asked him, and he paused in his pacing. He sighed, then faced Rose and asked

"Loran told me you experienced some pain while we were gone; can you explain what you felt and when you felt it?"

Rose regarded him with some confusion and said

"Yes, but why do you want to know?" A's gaze darkened and he replied

"Even ignoring the fact that I care about my pokemon, I myself had some… experiences yesterday, but I only thought it was a bad dream. However, if you confirm what I think might have happened, it will help me decide what the next best course of action would be."

Rose was perplexed, but soon she said

"Alright. Well, yesterday, about around late evening, early night, I experienced a stabbing pain through my chest. It felt like a sword or something had stabbed right through me." A's breath caught in his throat, but he soon unstuck it and asked

"Anything else?" Rose nodded and said

"Yes, not long after that, I got another stabbing sensation, but this time in my head, as though it were a headache, but in a very specified location, strangely in a straight line from the front of my head toward the back." A's expression became one of hate, and his emotions reflected that. Rose recoiled and asked timidly

"A, what's wrong? You seem very angry now. Did I do something wrong?" A calmed himself down and said

"You are not the one at fault, Rose. Thank you for your time. Please feel better soon." He promptly left the room, quickly followed by a flustered Green. She tried talking to him, but his thoughts were on a different track.

"_Damn it, that manipulative bastard I fought, Alpha, can hurt those close to me, even if he isn't directly near them! How he can is a complete mystery to me, but it doesn't matter right now. In order to protect them all, and to prevent that horrible future I was forced to watch, I need to master my abilities in full. Savior said something to that effect during that battle; maybe I can still speak with… it?"_

Now A was a bit confused; what gender did you refer your sword to? Well, maybe he could find out soon.

"Hey, earth to A! Are you still with us here?!" he heard Green yell at him. He jolted and looked at her, then sighed and said

"Sorry, I've just got something heavy on my mind right now." Green looked at him with concern and asked

"Does it have to do with that bad dream you had?" A hesitated, then said

"Yes, but I can't go into detail about what it was, at least not right now. But now that I have confirmation from Rose that something bigger is at play here, I can take the necessary steps to prevent it from happening again."

"And what exactly would that be?" A hesitated again, then told her

"I'm going to be making a couple of requests, and if all goes well, I will be gone for the day but return much stronger."

Green now regarded him with confusion, but A refused to elaborate further. He walked out into the training grounds in the backyard, and he drew Savior, asking the blade

"Savior, can you still speak to me?" Green then asked

"Why are you talking to your sword? It's not going to answer back."

Savior's voice laughed inside A's head, and (he? she? it?) said

"_Oh, I remember those exact words when Rick was communicating with his own blade. Allow me."_

Savior reached out to contact Green and said

"_I have the ability to respond, believe it or not." _Green's eyes widened in shock and fear, and Savior laughed again. Then it said

"_So A, I understand you wish to speak with me?" _A's initial shock wore off, though the same couldn't be said for Green, and he responded

"Yes. You told me after… our battle… you would train me to master my Battle Form and moves."

"_Indeed I did, and I plan to. However, in order for this to be most effective, you must request X's permission to use the special dimension he uses to train. Otherwise this will take longer than would be prudent."_

A nodded and called out

"X, heed my call!" The dark Gallade appeared in front of him and asked

"So, finally getting to talking with your weapon, huh?" A nodded and said

"I need to ask a favor. Savior told me it wanted to train me further, help me realize my full potential, but it would be safer to use your dimension again." X nodded and said

"Very well, but I won't be working with you that much. I still have other matters that require my attention." A nodded and said

"I understand. Thank you." X dipped his head, then A turned to Green and said

"I'll be back by the end of the day, but I promise I'll be much stronger this time around." Before she could ask questions, X transported him back to his otherworldly dimension, and said to A

"Good luck" then promptly disappeared. A drew Savior and asked

"Okay, so where do we start?"

"_By having a proper introduction first."_

The sword began to glow brightly, causing A to cover his eyes. When the glow faded, and A opened his eyes again, he spotted what appeared to be a young man, no older than he appeared himself, with white and silver clothes. His eyes were a gleaming silver in color, and his hair shifted colors, much like the pommel of his sword. A stood there in amazement, then asked

"Who are you?" The man smiled and said

"Isn't it obvious? I thought for sure the hair would have given it away." A looked at his hair again, then the pommel of the sword. He brought it up to eye level, then observed that the colors that shifted between the two were identical. To test his theory, he focused on the water type, and at exactly the same moment the pommel settled into a rich blue, so too did the man's hair. The man grinned and asked

"So, you figure it out yet?" A nodded and said

"You're Savior. But how is this possible?" Savior grinned and replied

"When Arceus commissioned Heatran to create the sword, he chipped off a piece of his power and molded it into the form of the opal. He also took my soul, one of the purest available at the time, and placed me within it. Arceus informed me that I was to be given into the care of a knight he chose, but the final decision would rest with me. Once the sword was finished and I resided within it, Arceus began his recruitment of humans and pokemon he believed would be suitable for the position I held. I personally would have preferred to be wielded by a human."

A cocked his head and asked

"Why? Did you have a particular bias against pokemon?" Savior shook his head and said

"No, but I thought it rather unfair that a pokemon would be bestowed with Arceus' power on top of their own. I realized I had to be fair to both species, but I thought overall that a human would ultimately do better with the power. Of course," he sighed

"There were always those who were only looking for more power. Neither human nor pokemon was exempt from this, but it was more prominent among the humans. If they weren't guilty of hunger for power, they were often guilty of being impure with their pokemon, whether or not Arceus realized it. But I always knew, because I would run over their lives and learn who they were. And for quite a while, I was sorely disappointed. Arceus wasn't exactly happy with me either, as I would kill those I deemed unworthy. If I hadn't, they would have insisted on abusing my power. The only way to prevent that was to end them before they could begin."

A shuddered as he thought about how many lives must have come at the expense of this one weapon. Then he asked

"So what made me so exceptional?" Savior grinned and replied

"Beyond the obvious fact that you never partook in pokephiliasm, you had ideals and values I deemed worthy of my attention, and even better was the fact that you were willing to die for them, and nearly had. But you prevailed over every trial set before you, which many cannot."

A bowed his head in thanks, and Savior acknowledged it. Then A sighed deeply and waved the sword around, asking

"So, can I still use this while you're not in here, or is it now just a piece of fancy metal?" Savior scoffed and said

"I thought that answer would have been clear when you tested the correlation between the pommel and my hair." A facepalmed and groaned

"Right, sorry." Savior laughed for a moment, A joining in soon after. Then A raised the sword in front of him and asked

"So, where do we begin?" Savior grinned again and said

"First we must have you hold onto your Battle Form for more than a few minutes. I must admit, though, I was impressed how one-sided that battle became after you transformed. Still, it became dangerous when you grew complacent, which caused you to lose the form. After this training, you will be able to hold your Battle Form and not have to worry about it so much, but you should never grow complacent, or else you will take risks you shouldn't." A nodded and said

"I understand. How do I get back to Battle Form?"

"You know what your Battle Form looks like now, so you must concentrate on that and imagine yourself in that form again." A nodded and closed his eyes, then began to concentrate on what he remembered. Soon he felt a distinct warmth overcome him, and when it faded away, he opened his eyes again and saw himself in Battle Form. He walked over to a nearby mirror and observed his reflection better.

Like before, he was dressed in highly polished plate armor which covered his body, with the exception of his head. He checked the sigil stamped in bold black on the chest piece and identified it as a copy of his sigil, the one found on his badge. Then he turned to get a better look at the cape and saw it was a pure white with silver trim. His sigil was also stamped to the back of it, and although there was no breeze, the cape fluttered. A turned to Savior and asked

"Wouldn't this be kind of a liability in battle? And why does it flutter even though there's no wind?" Savior grinned and replied

"That's actually a masterful illusion. The cape isn't real. If you don't believe me, try and grab it."

A turned back to the mirror, perplexed, and reached behind him to grab a handful of the cloth. However, his hands passed right through it, and try though he might, he couldn't get ahold of the cape. Savior spoke to him, making him turn around again, and he said

"Like you, no one else will be able to grab on to the cape either, nor will it snag on anything. With that matter put to rest, we should concentrate on your sword, or rather, me. First off, do you have any questions concerning the possibilities of the sword, or even just in general?" A looked at the weapon's new form and asked

"Yeah, exactly what kind of blade is this, and what's with the strange shape?" Savior began to explain

"That is a claymore, approximately forty-six inches long, including the grip and pommel. It has no sheath, so it can be shaped this way, and it actually serves to distribute the power more evenly. Notice the secondary opal; it is connected to the original one, set into the cross guard, and adjusts its color accordingly." A nodded and said

"Okay, then can I use multiple powers on the same blade? And what if I need to use both of my hands?"

"No, you can't use more than one power at a time. The secondary opal isn't the focal point of the blade's power; it is merely a copy to help distribute the desired power properly over the blade. If you need to use both of your hands, you can simply stick the sword into the ground and use your hands for their purpose, then call the blade back to you. You could also use the sword as a projectile tool and do the same thing. And before you ask, no, there is no danger in doing so. Remember, I kill those who try to take or use me without my permission. Even if I didn't, the weight of the sword would be too much for those but the strongest to carry. That blade is technically a double-handed sword, but because of your strength, you can wield it with a single hand. You would be amazed at the power you can attain with both hands, though."

A nodded and gripped the handle with both hands, a little awkward with the positioning, but surprised by the way it felt in his grip. Then he began executing the complicated maneuvers X had first trained him in, finding he was just as flexible as before. He was astounded his strength had grown to the point where his armor and new sword were practically weightless to him, but he was pleased nonetheless. Once he was finished, he faced Savior and grinned, asking

"Alright, how are we doing this?" Savior nodded seriously and began to instruct him.

"First you must be able to hold that form, no matter what. This will become easier, to the point where you won't even have to think about it. Until we hit that point, though, I don't want to get into your new move set extensively. Stick with what you know for now, and when you reach that point, then we may continue."

A nodded and focused on Dark, the opals quickly changing their color to a deep shade of black. Then he thrust the sword forward and launched a Dark Pulse. As soon as he did, the light enveloped him again and he returned to normal. He growled in frustration, then closed his eyes and focused on returning to Battle Form. Once he did, Savior told him

"Like I said, it will be difficult in the beginning. It will probably take some time before you have the hang of it, but I have faith in you." A nodded again and prepared for his next attack.

**Two months later…**

A had finally mastered the form; now he could easily transform to and fro, hardly having to even think about it, and hold it without having to think about it. He was excited about it (which didn't transform him back anymore) and he looked at Savior for the progression of his training. At this point, X teleported in and asked

"Hey, what's goin' on? Thought I'd check on your training and see how far you got." A grinned and transformed in front of him, and after X had looked him over, he said

"Nice. Finally unlocked it, huh? So I guess you have a hold of your ultimate attack, right?" A shrugged and said

"Not quite. The whole two months we've been in here, I was just training to hold my form in battle. We were actually about to begin training my move set, right?" he asked, looking at Savior. He nodded in confirmation, and X said

"Alright, well, don't let me keep you. I was just curious was all."

"Before you go, how is Green? A asked him; he shrugged and replied

"Not much different than when you left her. After all, what is two months to you is only a few hours for her. Anyway, see you later!" And then he teleported away, leaving A to begin work on mastering the sword.

"Okay, like before, you can use all of the types available. But you should know that Judgement isn't properly your ultimate attack." A held up and waved his hand, saying

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. I thought Judgement was the last move I had to unlock on you?" Savior nodded and replied

"Yes, Judgement is the peak of your power, except if Arceus bestows something else upon you, but Judgement can be used in seventeen different forms." A frowned and did a quick mental count, then said

"But there are only sixteen types. Where are you getting the extra one?" Savior smiled and said

"In due time. For now, I want you to release the same power you did with the electric attack you used against Avion. That is referred to as your Electro Judgement."

A nodded and focused on electric, the opals on the sword becoming a bright yellow. Then he tried unleashing his ultimate power, but it didn't look the same as the day he had first unleashed Electro Judgement.

"You must first build up the power. You had the chance to do this as you were pinned. It's another one of those things that you will become better in with time, but for now you must concentrate on building the power."

Then A focused on electric again and tried to do as he advised. He felt the energy from the attack building on the sword, but he didn't release it. As he watched, the claymore began to glow a brighter and brighter yellow, giving A a sense of elation as well as wariness. When the power could be built upon no more, he unleashed the power, resulting in a massive and spiky thunderbolt-looking attack. Savior grinned and said

"Congratulations; that's Electro Judgement. Next, I want you to do the same thing with flying type, called Aero Judgement."

For the next couple of months, A worked his hardest to attain mastery over the various types Judgement had to offer. He learned everything in this order according to its type; the basic, or normal type, resulted in Light Judgement. Psychic was Psycho Judgement; Dark, Black Judgement; Fire, Pyro Judgement; Water, Aqua Judgement; Grass, Leaf Judgement; Steel, Defense Judgement; Fighting, Attack Judgement; Bug, Buzz Judgement; Ghost, Shadow Judgement; Dragon, Draco Judgement; Ice, Glacial Judgement; Ground, Earth Judgement; Rock, Stone Judgement; and finally, Poison, Toxic Judgement.

A was proud of himself, to say the least. Savior was also proud of him, but got A's attention when he said

"And now, it's time for you to learn your true ultimate attack. These previous Judgements were powerful, yes, but they are merely a base for your true ultimate attack. Your ultimate attack is called Glorious Judgement, and it is attained by combining all the types together into one powerful attack."

A frowned and asked

"But I thought you said I couldn't use multiple powers on this sword." Savior nodded and replied

"Not separately. But you can combine the power of all the types together and unleash it as a whole. Begin by clearing your head again. You cannot focus on one type alone; you must be conscious of all of them." A frowned again and asked

"How do I know when I have it?"

"The opal will become a gleaming gold gem. Now try it."

A cleared his mind once again, which was at this point second nature to him. He noticed that the opal settled on its typical white color, then focused on every type he knew. He concentrated on that, and soon he noticed the opal was beginning to shift its color again, but not like usual. Instead of going straight to the color, it faded in slowly. Then A began to build the power behind it, feeling it coursing up and down the blade as it did. Once it reached its peak, A unleashed the power with a swing and a shout.

The move came out as a bright golden light, filling the room with its splendor. A could feel a massive heat emanating from the move, but beyond that he couldn't tell what the move would accomplish. After the power dissipated, he looked over at Savior and said

"You know, that felt just like Pyro Judgement. I don't quite see what separates this move from the other sixteen." Savior nodded his head and explained it for him.

"Well, you can use the first sixteen whether in normal form or Battle Form. However, you can only use Glorious Judgement while in Battle Form. It cannot be used on the regular blade." A grunted, the looked forward as X appeared in the room again, saying

"Hey, your six months are pretty much up. So, did you master everything?" A grinned and said

"Pretty much. Care to test me?" X grinned and drew Shadowbane, saying

"Alright, but don't expect me to go easy on you this time. Let's battle using our normal forms first." A nodded and transformed back, settling into his battle stance. X did the same and the fight began with X disappearing and reappearing behind A. A moved his arm behind him and deflected X's strike, then disappeared himself. X looked around him, then raised his sword to block an attack from Savior. A jumped back ten feet in the air and sent a raging inferno toward X.

X jumped back and slashed at the tempest, dispersing it away from him. Then he sent a barrage of shadows from his blade, to which A countered with his own Dark Pulse. Then A charged an Electro Judgement and slammed it onto the ground, making X jump to avoid electrocution. He fired several Psycho Cuts, which A cut up after covering the blade with steel. X landed and said

"You've definitely grown since I trained you. Why don't we make this a bit more interesting?" With that, he removed his cloak to transform into his Battle Form. A didn't take his eyes off him as he transformed in a flash of light. They grinned at each other, and X showed himself off by twirling himself around and flashing his sword's power. A simply placed Savior on his shoulder, which was something in itself given he was wielding a claymore, and taunted X with the "bring it" motion.

X disappeared again and A whirled around to meet his attack with a sweep of his sword, then punched X in the stomach, sending him flying back. X crashed into the wall, then disappeared to dodge a Black Judgement sent afterward. He appeared directly in front of A and began to fight him head-on. From there, X was more dominant, pushing A back several times, and even sending him to the ground twice. A always jumped back up and countered his next move, but he was sometimes taken by surprise from a sudden shift from a backhand lash to a foot sweep.

Then A ducked to avoid a slash to his head, and he swept Savior in a circle around him, creating a blazing ring to keep X at bay. Then he summoned the power of earth and stuck his sword into the ground, creating an earthquake and loosening up the battlefield in the process. X landed and watched him warily. A raised his sword and summoned a mess of earthen mannequins, causing them all to take on his appearance. X smirked and said

"A crude approximation of double team, but surely you know I can tell you apart from them." A grinned and said

"Not if I do this." He covered the sword in darkness, his copies imitating him, and used it to block X's mind. X cursed and began dodging left and right as each separate A attacked, swiping at each but unable to land a solid hit. The As began to herd him until he found himself in the middle of all of them. His eyes widened and he said

"Oh, shit." All the As grinned and raised their respective claymores, charging a dark attack. X raised Shadowbane and called out

"Psycho Cataclysm!" A storm of power erupted from the ground, and all but one A took the attack, destroying them and turning them back to earth and rock. The real A, still in midair, charged an Aero Judgement and blew X back, but he alighted himself on the wall and jumped, slashing at A. He quickly blocked the attack, and they shoved each other back. They landed on opposite sides of the battlefield and stood there for a moment, catching their breath. X grinned and asked

"You're fighting for something very specific, aren't you?" A nodded and replied

"Those I love are in danger, and to save their lives I will go to extraordinary lengths." X nodded himself and replied

"I salute you for dedicating yourself to your task, going to the highest you can achieve. I do believe you might be more powerful than I am, but why don't we let our ultimate attacks decide that?"

A nodded again and began to charge it. X hadn't seen it yet, so he was undoubtedly in for a surprise. X raised Shadowbane and lowered it, pointing it in A's direction and saying

"Blades of the Beast; Level 100." His body began to disintegrate and disappear. In its place was a black void; then it blew away, revealing a large wolf. It grinned, and a black aura began to surround A. He allowed some of the power of his attack dissipate and dispel the darkness surrounding him, trying to entrap him. It succeeded somewhat; the darkness couldn't come any closer, but neither would it completely go away. The wolf, presumably X, growled and ran forward, appearing lithe and dangerous. Once the attack was at full strength, and X had jumped into the air, aiming for A, A raised Savior and swung in X's direction, shouting

"Glorious Judgement!" A bright, gleaming gold ball was shot out of Savior; X couldn't dodge it in time, and he was blown back, crashing into the wall and forming a large dent with many cracks. He flashed for a moment, then transformed back into his Battle Form, then again into his normal form. A changed back and ran forward to check on him. When he arrived, X groaned and said

"Ugh… yep, you've definitely grown more powerful. Good job. Not many of the Knights can counter my ultimate attack." A shrugged and said

"Well, I'm fighting hard for something right now, and I find that someone's power grows when they do that. Sorry though." X groaned and accepted A's hand, which he had extended to help him up, and asked

"What are you apologizing for? You won." A shook his head and smirked, then said

"No, I'm sorry for beatin' you so bad." X scoffed and retorted

"Take away the reason you're fighting and I'm sure that battle would have gone very differently." A laughed and said

"Probably, but there's no way I'm letting _anything_ take away my reason for fighting. Otherwise life becomes a large battle with yourself, one that's almost impossible to win." X agreed with him, then teleported them both out of the dimension, reappearing in the training grounds behind A's mansion. A nodded to X, who nodded back, and teleported somewhere else. Then he heard Green's voice call out

"A! Where have you been the whole day?! Why did you leave so suddenly? And what are you hiding from me?" A turned to her and chuckled, saying

"Okay, let's see… I've been in a special training dimension that distorts reality, making one day seem like six months. I left suddenly because I wanted to get started and finish as quickly as possible. I can't tell you everything right now; I'm sorry. But I can say that there shouldn't be anything to worry about anymore."

Green narrowed her eyes and asked suspiciously

"What exactly do you mean by that?" A chuckled and drew Savior, then transformed into his Battle Form in front of her. When the light faded, her eyes widened as she saw him. He laughed then and said

"Surprised?" Green nodded dumbly and said

"Very. Is this what you were talking about?" A hesitated, then said

"Partly. The rest has to remain confidential for now, but when the right time comes, I promise I'll tell you everything." Green hesitated, then nodded, accepting his answer. After another moment of observation, she said lightly

"You really look the part of a knight now. You get some new power with that?" A smirked and said

"Yup. Actually, there's something I want to try out." Before she could ask, he twirled Savior in his hand, then brought it up and plunged it into the ground. He rested both hands atop one another on the weighted metal pommel, concentrating on his power. He summoned the power of earth, searching for something in particular. Once he managed to find it, he used his steel powers to manipulate and shape it, and when he was pleased with the result, he pushed it through the earth until a gleaming steel sword rose out of the ground in front of him. It was about two feet long, with a hand-and-a-half hilt and a steel ball for a pommel.

A walked over to the forest and began to work the plants available to his whim. Soon he gave the handle a more comfortable grip with some of the softer inner bark of a tree, and he created a sheath out of leaves. He tested it by sticking the sword into the sheath, and upon it fitting perfectly, A smiled and walked back to Green, holding the sword out to her and saying

"I want you to keep this on your person, as a means of defending yourself if I don't get there first. What you name it is up to you. You don't have to name it at all, if you want, but I would like you to become proficient with this sword." Green held it in her hand, dumbfounded, then she looked up at A and asked softly

"Why?" A transformed back and told her seriously

"You need a way to defend yourself. I don't want to see you getting hurt by anything, for any reason, okay? I'll help train you, but will you hold onto that sword?"

Green looked between the blade and A, seemingly torn. Then she sighed and gripped it strongly, saying

"If you really want me to use it, then I will." A nodded and said

"Thank you." Green nodded, and together they walked back into the mansion, the door closing softly behind them.

**All right, that's the filler chapter for now. Keep on watching for updates!**


	36. Ch 36: The Knights Meet

**Okay, everybody, this is just another filler chapter, but it will help set some things up, so it's important. Hope you like it!**

A woke up, feeling very much assured now that he convinced Green to wear the sword he created. All he had to do was train her to use it, and she would be able to defend herself against characters that would mean her harm, and in this war, he felt that was important.

He got up and stretched, then dressed, buckled his sword and badge, then went to the kitchen to grab some breakfast. Predictably, Green was already there, but with a surprise for him this time. She had laid out a large breakfast, meaning for them to eat together. He eyed it hungrily, and he asked Green

"What's this about?" She turned to him and said

"Nothing; I just figured since you never seem to get a proper breakfast, I should make it for you. You need energy throughout the day, you know." A chuckled and said

"If anyone, _you're _the one who's going to need the energy today." Green cocked her head and asked

"Why?" A motioned to the sword at her hip and replied

"I'm going to start training you how to use that." Green looked at the blade and asked beseechingly

"Is it really necessary to use this? I mean, I'm not even really a fighter like you." A raised an eyebrow and asked skeptically

"Oh, and you believe I was a natural born fighter?" She shrugged nervously and said hesitantly

"Well… you always were good at taking enemies down, one way or another. It just feels like you're the best fighter between the two of us."

"That's only because I've had extensive training by multiple, and excellent, masters" A pointed out.

"Not only that, but I've had the dedication to be able to do the job that was assigned to me by Arceus. I'm more than willing to do what he asks of me, though I might have issues if he goes against my morality, and I wish to give the best of my service."

"But I'm just not a fighter" Green persisted. A sat down, picked up his fork, pointed it to Green and told her

"Not yet you're not. But should the worst come to pass and I'm not there, I want you to be able to defend yourself." He grabbed some pancakes and eggs, along with a cup of orange juice, then continued.

"If you're going to be hanging around me, chances are you'll meet into some danger, and I don't want you getting hurt." Green slowly sat down, having to adjust her new sword to properly do so, then asked suspiciously

"Just what kind of trouble will I be facing?" A finished chewing and swallowed, then responded

"I didn't say that was a guarantee, and if I have my way, you'll never face danger. But things we can't always predict will happen, whether we will it or not. I want to be prepared for any possibilities, and while I know it's impossible to be prepared for everything, we can do our best with what we've got. And that includes making you a swordswoman."

Green didn't say anything but instead began to eat. Per A's preferences, there was no meat to be found. But Green was worried about how A would be training her exactly. She knew he was incredibly powerful, so that put her at a severe disadvantage. A finished breakfast quickly and began to clear up, washing the dishes while Green ate. As soon as she was finished, he quickly washed her dishes too, then led her to the training grounds outside. When they arrived, greeting some of his pokemon along the way, A drew Savior out of its sheath and raised a pole with hooks made out of rock. He turned to Green and told her

"You should take off any jewelry; it might become a hindrance in the beginning. You should also remove that translator for now; we don't want it getting damaged." Green nodded apprehensively and did as he said with A watching her for a moment, then going to the tree line and raising Savior again. He created two wooden swords, then brought them over, tossing one to Green, who barely managed to catch it. A smirked a little, then said

"Well start out with some basic movements, then get into the finesse of swordplay. One of the important things to remember is to not be afraid. I'm here to help, not hurt. Now, begin by clearing your mind. Empty it of all thoughts and emotions until it becomes like a spring on a clear, windless day."

Green nodded and closed her eyes. For five minutes she stood like that, her sword at her side. When she felt ready, she charged A and swung wildly at him. He easily blocked it and said

"Did I say we were fighting? I'm trying to help you understand how to wield a sword in the first place, but if you'd rather move on, I'd be happy to oblige you." Green blushed and let her arm fall in shame. A chuckled and said

"Don't worry about it. Why don't we start with some exercises to help you limber up, then we'll begin the techniques of sword handling?" Green nodded, and A slowly began to show her the tactics X had taught him. She followed them, slowly at first, but like him she soon got into it. Not quite as fast as he had, but A expected that.

After an hour, A started talking to her again.

"Now then, the important thing when wielding your blade is to never let go unless the cost of doing so is your life. In battle, your sword will be your lifeline, but if that's what it costs, then it's not worth it." Green hesitated, then asked

"Have you been put in a position like that before?" A thought about it for a second, then said

"Only in practice, but it's still a good lesson to learn. Now then, let's begin by having you strike at various points on this dummy." With that, A created a dummy out of earth and told Green

"I want you to strike very precisely on the right side. Don't be afraid to experiment the best ways of doing this. When you make a move, it should feel comfortable and natural. Go ahead and try it." He stepped back and watched to see what she would do. She moved forward and simply struck the side of the dummy, but her position seemed a bit awkward. A grinned and moved forward, saying

"Okay, you hit the dummy where I asked you to, but did it feel natural? Were you comfortable? Most importantly, does your maneuver leave you room to retreat when your opponent counterattacks?" Green looked at him, bewildered, and asked

"What do you mean counterattack?" A grinned and said

"In battle, the enemy isn't likely to just stand there and take the hit unless he or she is confident, or your mission is one of assassination. You need to be prepared for whatever moves your opponent will employ. For example, if you were to attack me, using the same methods you just did, what do you think would happen?" Green smirked and replied

"You'd kick my ass, that's what." A chuckled and said

"Probably, but I was going for something a bit more specific." Green shrugged and said

"I don't know." A sighed and tossed his wooden sword aside, telling her

"Okay, come at me and try your method again." Green appeared wary but did as he said. When she swung at him, though, he nimbly ducked under the wooden weapon, then straightened up and grabbed her wrist, then twirled her around to face him. He grinned, she blushed, and A said

"That was more of a counter-move. I avoided your attack and made one of my own. In this position, I have the upper hand, unless you can counter my counter attack." Green raised the sword and lashed out at him. A ducked back and tripped Green, who was in a precarious position due to her move. He moved quickly to catch her, then straightened her up and said

"It's also important to keep both feet on the ground unless you're in the air or executing a complicated maneuver." Green frowned and asked

"How is all of this going to help me?" A grinned and said

"It's a long-term thing. We will train out here every day that we can, and you will gradually become more and more proficient. Once you gain mastery over the wooden weapon, we'll move on to your real sword, where things should get more interesting. Now then, I want you to hit the right side of the dummy again, but use a different tactic." Green frowned again and asked

"Like what?" A grinned, and as he stepped back he replied

"Surprise me." Green growled in frustration, then thought for a moment. Then she simply threw her sword, striking the dummy more in the abdomen than the right side. A set aside his shock and said

"Well, that certainly surprised me, I'll give you that. But you failed to hit where I directed you to aim; further, you disregarded one of the rules I gave you about swordsmanship; don't release your weapon except at the cost of your life. You won't have the ability to recall your sword. You have to do it manually, so unless you only have one opponent left, and the next strike is guaranteed to hit and kill, or incapacitate, do not throw your weapon away."

Green flung her hands in the air and said

"I'm not going to get this! I'm not cut out to wield a sword, okay?!" A sighed and retrieved her weapon, then gently said

"I wasn't meant to wield a weapon when I first started out either. But I trained and grew into it. You will too, but it's going to take some time. Don't quit on the first day just because it seems hard. Believe me, it will become easier as you progress, but you can't give up." Green sighed and said

"I'm a trainer, not a swordsman. Maybe it worked out for you, but I don't think it would work out for me." A lifted her head by the chin to meet his eyes and asked

"How do you know if you won't try? I believed I could help Rick take on Omega and win, and see where that landed me?" Green scowled and said

"It landed you into unconsciousness, and with a concussion!" A smirked and replied

"But now I know what to expect the next time Omega is my enemy. I have become stronger, so I know I stand a better chance against it. And the only way that happened was because I tried something I hadn't done before. Let me ask you this; if no one had come up with the idea to turn apricorns into pokeballs, would there be trainers today?"

Green eyed him and asked skeptically

"Is this more of your philosophy?" A grinned and said

"Maybe. But how do you answer the question? If no one had thought to turn apricorns into pokeballs, would trainers exist today as we know them?"

Green thought about it, but she couldn't come up with an answer. She flung her hands up in frustration and shouted

"I don't know! What do you think, huh?!" A smiled and said

"No. Maybe someone could have created another method of capturing pokemon, but the results would be different from what we're familiar with. The only reason that we have the innovations we take for granted every day is because someone decided to try something they had never done before, and the results became the precursor to what we now have. Pokemon have done this before humans even existed, we tagged along for the ride, and things have worked from that ever since."

A held up her wooden sword and said

"We evolved and adapted to everything that has stood in our way. Our parents did it, our grandparents did it, and so has every generation before them. Now it's our turn, and the only way we'll succeed is by placing one foot forward every time. So, what do you say?" Green smirked, then grabbed the handle of the wooden blade. After A let go, she said

"You sure have a way with words. Is that what endears you to your pokemon?" A chuckled and replied

"Many things endear them to me. My ability to give pep talks is just one of them. Now, let's pick up where we left off."

For the next couple of hours, A instructed Green in the basics of swordsmanship, and although she was frequently frustrated, A kept encouraging her. At one point, she tried to do something complex which would lead to something… well, a bit frazzling.

A had the dummy set back up and asked Green to hit its right side again, trying something new. She charged forward, and at the last second, she tried to twirl around to strike the dummy. But she lost her footing and shrieked in surprise. A disappeared and reappeared to catch her. So there they were, A holding Green in a position that suggested the finish to a romantic dance. Green blushed while A was left flustered, but he refused to drop her.

He gently lifted her back up and said

"Well… um, that was… interesting, to say the least. It's not a bad tactic, but you should always be wary of your terrain, whether or not it would be ideal to execute that maneuver on." Green stared up at him and asked softly

"Why are you so intent on teaching me? What do you gain out of this?" A stared deep into her eyes and was lost. He spoke without thinking;

"I ensure your safety, because if I lost you again I don't know what would become of me."

There was a brief pause, then A registered what he said and a deep blush covered his face. Green's eyes widened and she asked

"Wait, what?" A's face remained flushed and he stammered

"Uh, what I meant was- you see, I- I…" he drifted out, unable to make a valid excuse. Her eyes, he found, were getting closer, and so were her lips. He couldn't help himself; he drew closer too, but just before they could make contact, X appeared and saw the scene before him. Then he chuckled and said

"Whoa, maybe I better come back." A and Green flew apart, both their faces blushing a deep red. A recovered first and he said

"X! What are you doing here?" X chuckled and said

"Well, I was coming here to inform you that a meeting of the Knights has been called. We're to report as soon as we can." A frowned and forgot his embarrassment as he said

"That sounds serious. Did something happen?" X shrugged and said

"All I know is that Arceus wanted to make some kind of report. Of course, we have to report what's been going on with us and our various duties. Then he'll make his announcement. I imagine he'll allow you the time to get acquainted with the other Knights first. We should get going." A nodded, then turned to Green and said

"You're excused for now, but I hope you'll keep practicing. I don't know when I'll be back, but I will return." Her face was still flushed as she replied softly

"Okay…" A grinned inwardly, then unclipped his badge and created the portal to the Hall of Origin. He paused, wondering if this tactic was still valid, but he shrugged and walked through anyway. After he reappeared, he found himself standing in front of the glorious hall again. He looked around to see if there was any defining characteristic of him having been returned to his own time, but he imagined that the marble could very well remain unchanged over a span of eighty years. Of course, he didn't know what the Hall looked like eighty years ago, so all this speculation was pointless. He pushed through the doors and walked through. About ten feet away, he saw what appeared to be an old man. He walked up, asking

"Excuse me sir, are you lost?" The man turned around, revealing an old man with long white hair that was free-flowing, except for a lock of it that was tied into a ponytail. He had an Asian-style moustache and beard, and he was wearing martial arts style clothing. He also wore wooden clogs and a golden haori. He also wore a sword on his belt that looked vaguely familiar to A. Then the man spoke, and although he was old, there was no question of the strength his voice carried.

"Now where would you get a ridiculous idea like that? I'm right where I belong for now. And what's with the "sir" business? Do I look like a frail old man to you?"

Stunned, A stammered for a second.

"Uh… well, uh-"

"Spit it out, boy!" the old man shouted at A, making him flinch. Then A scowled and said

"What's your problem? I haven't done anything to offend you. You _do_ look like an old man, so I can hardly be blamed." The old man smiled and said

"That's better. Can't understand a blasted thing you say if you don't actually say it." A was just stunned beyond belief, but he decided to try this again.

"Okay, I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. What's your name?" The old man smiled and held out a hand, saying

"Name's Ryu, but I go by R here. What about you?" A took his hand and has his immediately crushed by Ryu. A winced as he took his mangled hand back and flexed it, saying

"I'm A, which stands for Alpha." Ryu frowned and said

"Nice try, but now give me your real name." A frowned and asked

"What do you mean? That is my name, given to me by Arceus." Ryu scoffed and said

"Boy, you're pretty dumb, you know that? I'm talkin' about the name your _mother_ gave you." A frowned again and asked

"Why is that any of your business?" Ryu shrugged and replied cockily

"It ain't. Now answer the damn question." A bit wary now, A responded

"Alright, just calm down. My birth name is Michael." Ryu nodded and said

"Now that's more like it. So, what's your title?" A cocked his head in confusion and Ryu sighed in exasperation.

"You really don't know much about being a Knight, do you?" A tilted his head back up and asked

"So you're a Knight too?" Ryu rolled his eyes and said

"Oh boy, we got a severe case of stupidity flyin' around. Of course I'm a Knight, you dolt. What else would I be?" A's patience with this guy was wearing thin, but he didn't like the fact that this guy could probably lay waste to him by the look of his muscles alone, which stretched his clothing out.

"Okay, look," A began, "I don't know what I did to offend you, but could you please stop offending me? I don't have an extensive knowledge of Knighthood, so please don't criticize me for things that haven't been divulged to me." Ryu rolled his eyes again and said

"Alright, I'll humor you. My title is Guardian of Light. Each of us Knights has a title similar to that. Now, you are the…?" Understanding better now, A stood straighter and responded

"My title is Guardian of Pokemon." Ryu's eyebrows lifted, and he asked incredulously

"All pokemon?" A nodded proudly and stated

"It was the position offered to me shortly after my death. My pokemon all mourned for me, and Arceus was touched by that. So he demanded my soul from Giratina and offered me knighthood and a return to my friends. I accepted, and I've gone through many things in my lifetime." Ryu laughed a bit, and he said

"Oh? You sure don't look that old to me. What'd you die of?"

"Old age. Arceus restored my youth when he resurrected me, but he couldn't do the same for my pokemon, and already two have paid the price for that." Ryu's expression fell, and he said

"Oh dear. I know that feeling, son. I had a batch of pokemon under my care die on me too. It's hard losing your friends like that, especially since they can't be replaced. I don't care what anybody says, you can never replace a true friend, no matter how similar they appear." A's face lit up and he said

"Wow, it's refreshing to find another human who thinks that way! I've always believed that, and certainly no Umbreon could replace mine." A's eyes grew downcast as he thought of Umbra, as well as the recent nightmare he experienced after his short-lived battle with Omega. Ryu placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and said

"Look, Michael, what happened is in the past, and no matter how much we wish otherwise, it won't change. I understand your pain; I've lost extremely close friends of mine before too. But they wouldn't want to see us be sad all of the time. The Umbreon you mentioned, would you want to see him sad if you died?" A thought back, then responded

"Actually, I have seen that. After Arceus got my soul from Giratina, he showed me the scene of my pokemon in mourning for me. The one who stood out most to me was Umbra, and I hated the sight of him being so sad because nature took its course. I hated seeing that on all of them, because I wanted nothing more than to console them. But I couldn't." Ryu nodded knowingly and said

"So, with that in mind, do you think Umbra would want you to be mourning him?" A shook his head and said

"No, of course not… but it's so hard…" Ryu nodded again and told him

"It always is. But happier times always lie ahead, if you look far enough." A simply nodded, and when he recovered he asked

"So, are there any other human Knights?" Ryu's eyes glinted and he laughed loudly, saying

"Nope! You and I are the only ones!" A was slightly crestfallen, and Ryu noticed. He stopped laughing and said

"Hey, don't worry about it. The rest of 'em might be pokemon, but they're all friendly. They don't bite… much." At A's expression he laughed again, and A was beginning to wonder if he had been senile before his death. Once Ryu's mirth was spent, he motioned and said

"Well, we better be going if we expect to make that meeting. From what I understand, Lord Arceus has quite the surprise for us." A began to wonder what Arceus could possibly be keeping a secret from them (sarcastically) and soon they entered the meeting room, which was the same one used for legendary meetings. A looked at some of the pokemon interspersed around the table, and they in turn stared back. Some were curious, others were condescending, and some were just uncaring. A counted eight, not including himself and Ryu.

He saw a Garchomp, a Staraptor, a Zoroark, X, a Mismagius, a Samurott, a Roserade, and finally a Luxray. The Staraptor and Samurott were viewing him with disdain, while the Zoroark was curious. X nodded to him once, a gesture A repeated. The Mismagius was somewhat curious, but not much. Finally, the Garchomp, Roserade, and Luxray were indifferent to his presence altogether, as if it didn't really matter whether he was here or not. Arceus entered the room, and all the Knights, A included, bowed to him. He told them

"Rise." And they did. The deity looked around them and said musingly

"We seem to be missing three of our number. Where are they?"

Three figures appeared at the end of the table, all simultaneously bowing, one of them speaking. The voice was clearly female, but since they all wore masks and cloaks, it was pretty difficult to define what they were. The female who spoke said

"Our apologies, my liege. Our mission took longer than expected since we met with some… resistance."

"Hmm, I see. Speak with me after the meeting." The figure on the farthest right bowed her head and the figures took their places among the other Knights. Then everybody focused on Arceus and he began with

"So, as everybody may be aware of, we have a new presence with us on this meeting. This is A, everybody," he said, motioning to A, "and he is a recent addition to your order. He has mastered his power, just like the rest of you, and is more than willing to accomplish his task."

"And just what might that task be, milord?" the Zoroark asked him. Arceus had a grin in his eyes and he responded

"He is the Guardian of Pokemon. I deemed him worthy of that, especially since it was the last slot to be filled. I have watched much of his life, and he leads his life with honor and integrity. I suggest you be accepting of him, as he will be around for a while, more than likely protecting some of your descendants."

The Samurott snorted at A derisively, making Arceus pause and look at him.

"Do you have something to say?" Arceus asked him, and the Samurott appeared slightly chastised, but said

"Just that he doesn't seem like much." Arceus smirked and stated

"Looks can be deceiving. Now, for the benefit of A, I want you all to give your codenames and titles. He can ask for your personal names later if he so wishes, and you consent to give them. A, I want you to start, please." A nodded and looked around the table, stating

"A, Guardian of Pokemon." Then A looked to his right, where Ryu stood. He said

"R, Guardian of Light." The list kept going down to the right until it reached Arceus.

"U, Guardian of Darkness" said the Zoroark.

"X, Guardian of Fate" stated X.

"D, Guardian of Virtue" said the female voice that had addressed Arceus when the last three figures arrived. The other two were standing next to each other, about two more spaces down. The Samurott who scoffed A's validity stated

"F, Guardian of the Oceans." The Mismagius next to him said in a haunting yet beautiful voice

"L, Guardian of Death." Then the first of the mysterious figures, still masked and cloaked, said in a masculine voice that was familiar to A, but he couldn't place where

"Z, Guardian of Eternity." The figure next to him said in a feminine voice, also familiar but unplaceable

"M, Guardian of Love." The Garchomp next to her stated

"E, Guardian of the Continents."

"O, Guardian of the Winds" said the Staraptor smugly. A rolled his eyes and waited for the Luxray and Roserade, respectively, to name themselves.

"W, Guardian of Power."

"K, Guardian of Life."

Arceus nodded and said

"Good, with introductions out of the way, we can begin with the meeting. D, Z and M, I will speak with you after the meeting about your mission." The masked and cloaked figures nodded their heads simultaneously to him, and Arceus turned his attention to X.

"How are the fates aligning?" X shifted his position and stated

"As you planned, milord. Nothing has strayed yet." Arceus nodded once and said

"Good. Make sure it stays that way." X nodded and Arceus turned his attention to the Roserade and Mismagius.

"How are the balances?" K answered

"Things are running smoothly on my end." Arceus turned his attention to L, who answered

"The forces are properly balanced, but Giratina grows impatient and irritated."

"When isn't he?" Arceus muttered to himself, but the rest of them could hear. Then he turned to Ryu and the Zoroark and asked

"And your balances?" They both nodded and responded

"All is as it should be, milord." Arceus nodded and addressed the Samurott, Staraptor, and Garchomp

"How fare the elements that sustain life?" E answered first, saying

"The continents are moving as they ought. Little to report." Then F stated

"The oceans flow smoothly with one another." Finally O said

"The winds are free and moving." Arceus nodded at all of them, then turned to W, who said

"The current reign is shifting, and not to a leader I would suggest." X intervened and told him

"That was to be expected. Soon things should return to a state of normalcy." W faced him and asked

"How soon?" X responded

"That kind of depends on our new face here. His part to play is taking a while, but soon the balance should turn in his favor." Everybody looked at A, and Arceus said

"Very well, now your report. What is the status of the pokemon, A?" He was left to flounder for a bit, which made F and O smile derisively at him. Arceus intervened by saying

"Don't worry too much about it, just tell us what you know." A took a deep breath and said hesitantly

"As far as I know, the war we're involved in isn't costing much in the matter of lives." A paused for a moment, then said

"But I do have some concerns about the members of this enemy we're up against."

"Such as?" Arceus prompted. A hesitated, then replied

"Well, the knowledge that Cipher is among them gives me concern, namely because I worry that they'll make a return of shadow pokemon." The Roserade shrieked in horror, and everybody looked at her in concern. She said

"Sorry, I just- just have a bad… connection… is all…" A scrutinized her closely, and he said slowly

"Wait a minute… were you a shadow pokemon yourself?" Her eyes widened in terror, and she asked

"How could you possibly know that?" A grinned and said

"It's good to see you again Freya. I have to say, I'm surprised to see you here." Her eyes widened again, and she asked suspiciously

"How could you possibly know my name?" A grinned again and said

"Don't you remember me? I'm Michael. I spent some time purifying you back in Orre."

Everyone at the table, even Arceus, had wide eyes. X looked between the both of them, then asked A

"You knew her before she became an Arceus Knight?" A smiled and nodded, explaining

"She was one of the shadow pokemon I came across during my reign against Cipher. After I purified her, I asked her if she wanted to stay with me or go on her own. She opted to go on her own, and now I see that she traveled to Sinnoh and evolved. Sad to know you died, though. Do you blame me for it? I have to know." Freya shook her flowery head vigorously and said

"No, no, not at all! In fact, if it hadn't of been for you, I might not be in this position right now. No, my only feeling to you is gratitude." A smiled and said

"When we have time, I'd love to play catch-up." Freya nodded and Arceus intervened.

"Very well, you may do so when the time allows, but for now you have other responsibilities. A, do you have anything further to report or ask?" A nodded and turned to X, asking

"Do you have any idea if shadow pokemon will be used during the war I'm currently participating in?" X hesitated, then replied

"As far as I can tell, no, but the future isn't set in stone, and neither are the fates. It may well be that shadow pokemon could make a return. But I sincerely hope not." A rolled his eyes and muttered

"You're not the only one." There was light laughter from those present, with the exception of O and F, who appeared to really hate A by this point. A shrugged inwardly and thought

"_You win some, you lose some."_

"If there is nothing else, then, we shall move on to my own announcement." Everyone turned their attention to their liege, and he took a deep breath before saying

"Now, I realize you are all very powerful, but none of you will last forever. Besides which, I feel it appropriate to have a weapon of my own, one that lives and responds only to me." The Knights frowned at this declaration, and A ventured out

"But Lord Arceus, you are already powerful. No one else can stand up to your might. I'm sure that, even if we all banded together, you could just smite us all simultaneously with nothing more than a passing glance." Some of the other Knights nodded in agreement, while the others did nothing at all. Arceus looked at A, who gulped nervously, then he said

"While that may be true, I still wish to have a weapon in two parts that responds to my call and does not need some of the amenities you require. Besides which, they are already programmed with their purposes, which saves the time it usually takes to train you." There was much muttering at this, and the cloaked male figure asked

"Does this mean you are disbanding us, milord?" Arceus shook his head and replied

"Not at all. You thirteen are some of the best successes I have experienced thus far, and the only time I will disband you is when your numbers grow too small to sustain. Other than that, the Knights shall live on. Each and every one of you represents some part of the world that is my kingdom, and you each have a role to protect it. The weapon I have created will not be joining your ranks, not properly, but they might be able to help some of you occasionally, lightening the load, so to speak."

There was some more muttering, but Arceus commanded silence and spoke again.

"I have already created the weapon, which is a two-part being. They have minds of their own, but will respond to my beck and call. The first is named Raze. His counterpart is named Chiasmus. You may come forth."

There was a blur of motion, and the two-part weapon Arceus spoke of appeared on the table in front of all of them.

The first looked similar to Zekrom, but with curved blades coming out of its arms, facing outward. The black, Zekrom-esque creature had a somewhat stocky build, with both legs looking similar to Dialga's, except for the fact they were red with a black metallic pattern. The creature had long, dark blue, Lugia-esque wings coming out of his back. His head was black with demonic red eyes. Its head sloped downwards, so that the curved blade coming out of its head resembled a mohawk.

The other creature resembled Reshiram in coloration and graceful form. Its head was sloped in the same manner as Raze, but had a curved head instead of bladed, with a Gracidea wreath. It had a trimmer build than its darker counterpart and had smaller, more blunted claws. Chiasmus had red wings and a tail resembling an unknown Pokemon, forming a "Y" shape, except outlined in white and with a white, fanlike end to both the tail and the wings.

The Knights stared in shock at what they felt to be like their replacements. There was no doubt among any of the Knights that these creatures would be powerful, Arceus wouldn't have designed them any other way, but the exact nature of both of them was hidden to them, and for now it would remain that way. Arceus addressed them, saying

"You may return to your room." They both turned and bowed to Arceus, then in a whirl of motion, they both disappeared. Arceus addressed the Knights again, telling them

"You should return to your duties now. A, keep a watchful eye out. If indeed you do spot any shadow pokemon, or have suspicions about seeing them, summon me and we shall discuss the best course of action." A nodded and bowed, then Arceus said

"The meeting is adjourned." Everyone bowed to him, and X disappeared. O flew out of the room, making sure to fly close to A's head, who growled in irritation. The three masked, cloaked figures approached Arceus, and A unclipped his badge and opened the return portal home. He stepped through and was sent back to the 22nd den, where things felt less pressured. He looked around and saw that nobody was outside, so he ventured in and saw Green making herself some dinner. She heard A as he walked in and said

"Oh, hello A! How was your meeting?" A rolled his eyes and sighed, saying

"Stressful. I was not aware of how many Knights there were. There are thirteen of us in total, and it seems like I have one of the biggest jobs out there. Interesting fact, though, one of the shadow pokemon I purified during the shadow incident I was involved in became an Arceus Knight." Green's eyes widened and she said

"No way! Wow, that must have been quite a reunion for you. Who was it?" A smiled and told her

"She's a Roserade I named Freya after I purified her as a Roselia. I had asked her if she wanted to stay or go, and she decided to leave. She apparently traveled to Sinnoh, evolved, and lived out her life there. Someday we're going to have to catch up." Green nodded and A asked her

"Have you been practicing your moves while I was away?" She blushed and said

"Well, uh… no, not really." A half-grinned and shook his head, then said

"All right, we'll pick it up later." Green appeared somewhat pleased and irritated at the same time, but then she relaxed. They ate dinner and soon went to bed, A feeling remarkably tired from his rather long day.

**All right, I'm happy with the way this turned out! For future reference, Raze and Chiasmus are OCs from Emerald Dynamo's story "Instrument Of Wrath". Peace out!**


	37. Ch 37: The Trials That Lie Ahead

**Okay, I realize these have been some fast updates… wait, why would anyone complain about that? Never mind!**

A and Green had finished with breakfast and the cleaning and A was getting back into teaching Green about the ways of the sword. Hopefully he could use the day productively, but that hope would soon be dashed. A young woman walked in, saying

"Excuse me, would you happen to be Green?" Green turned to her and answered

"I am. Who are you?"

"My name is Gloria. I understand you don't know much about the Sanctuary." Green shrugged and said

"Been busy, especially right now." She brought up her sword and waved it around a bit, saying

"Trying to figure out how to use this properly." A held in his frustration at yet another distraction and told her

"And you still have a ways to go. Let's start from the top." Gloria clicked her tongue and said

"A, you don't know how to treat a woman right, do you?" A growled in frustration and faced her, responding

"I do, but at the moment her safety is more important to me. So if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to working on that." He turned to Green again, but Gloria was engulfed in a bright light, and after it faded revealed a Pidgeot. Green was shocked and asked

"Did… that girl… just turn into a Pidgeot?" Gloria laughed and said

"Actually, I'm originally a Pidgeot; I can just transform into a human." Green frowned and walked over to the pole where she hung her translating necklace, put and turned it on, then asked

"Could you repeat that?" Gloria laughed and did so, and Green was more shocked than ever. Eventually she got over it and Gloria turned, saying

"Hop on; I'll give you a tour." Green's eyes lit up and she asked

"Really?" Gloria nodded and Green turned to A, giving him her best puppy eyes. He snorted and said

"Fine, whatever. Best leave your sword here; you still don't know how to use it, and it's clear everyone doesn't want you to learn how. Have fun." A stalked off into the more wooded area. After he saw Gloria take off with Green in tow, A drew Savior and hurled it into the trunk of a tree.

"Arceus dammit! How the hell am I supposed to ensure her safety if everyone else keeps getting in the way?! I can't bear to lose her again… that would be the end of me for sure…"

Sulking a bit now, A walked to the tree and yanked Savior out, bringing some of the bark with it. He snorted and pulled it off, then restored the tree. He put Savior back in its sheath and asked himself

"Now what am I supposed to do?" After considering it for a moment, he thought

"_I wonder what the army of this Sanctuary is designed like? Maybe I'll find out."_

Half an hour later found him in front of the office of the Warlord, after taking several directions. He raised his hand and knocked, and after a moment and a tired groan, he heard Rick say

"Come in!" A opened the door and walked in, and Rick raised his eyebrows and said

"A? This is a surprise. You never come to my office...or to the Military District for that matter. Is everything alright?"

A smirked and asked

"Does something have to be wrong for me to come visit?"

Rick chuckled and responded

"I guess not. What can I do for you?" A shrugged and told him

"I just came to see how you guys are doing here at your job. There's nothing really to do back home right now. My pokemon are doing their own little thing, your friend Gloria went over there to take Green on a tour of the Sanctuary, and I was wondering what you guys were up to."

Rick sat back on his seat and said to A

"We're all pretty spread out right now, everyone is doing their own thing." A nodded and asked

"And the rest of the army?"

"Either doing their tasks or in training. They are all separated into different squads, however today I'm going to set up more divisions."

A looked at him curiously and asked

"Divisions?"

Rick answered his question.

"Different squadrons, spec ops, and the like." A's face lit up in understanding and he said

"Oh so you're getting this army in line? What was it like before?" Rick thought back and answered

"It worked in an old fashion army. One giant group split into sections. Now I'm making multiple groups with multiple specialties. Thus when they are needed they will be deployed accordingly. My father made an army order that has worked up until now. My uncle continued his work. However, I am going to add to it, as my father wished me to do."

"He asked you before he left?"

Rick nodded and said

"Yes. I don't know exactly what he wanted, but I know he wanted me to keep the army organized and working on their own specialties."

A smirked and sat down

"I can respect that. Obviously your father was a warrior, and a strong leader as well."

Rick chuckled and told A

"You couldn't tell that by how he acts, but if you force him to do his job then he will do it...with amazing results." A smirked again and asked

"So when are you going to announce the new divisions?" Rick said

"In a little bit. Let me make the bulletin and get everyone to tune in into the military broadcast or to head directly to the courtyard. Speaking of which..." Rick pushed a button on his phone and said

"All troops, this is an all-points bulletin. An announcement will be made to the entirety of the army. It will be brief, so please, anyone whose shift ends, please stay for five minutes for the announcement. The announcement will be made in ten minutes. That is all!" Rick looked at A and said

"And they are rallying now. They should all be rounded up in the courtyard right now."

Rick then grabbed a remote and turned on the TV in his room, showing a camera view of the courtyard. As he said, the army was already standing in attention in the courtyard, impressing A.

"Wow, they're on point."

Rick followed up by saying

"Yep! They have to be." A chuckled and said

"I bet they do. When you have to protect a city this massive, you can't afford to be deterred. Also, I've been meaning to ask, how was this place even built? I don't understand how I can live underground but there's still a sky, clouds, rain, the moon. One more question, how were the dens built?"

Rick shrugged and gave a dumb look.

"If I knew I would tell you. I'm just as lost."

A looked at him with a surprised expression and asked incredulously

"You don't know?" Rick shook his head and replied

"I haven't even been here for a year. I'm still learning myself."

"You've only been here for less than a year?"

Rick elaborated.

"Alright, let me explain. I was born here, but my family moved to the Hoenn region when I was a baby. I came back eight months ago and took over as the Warlord about a month later."

A thought for a bit, then said

"So let me see if I have this all correct. You were born here," Rick nodded, "you left as a baby and came back as an adult," Rick nodded again "and then you just took over the army."

Rick nodded and then said

"Yes, but it was more complicated than that. I fought my uncle...who I didn't was my uncle at the time...then I got my mission from Arceus and took over." A nodded and said

"Alright, it makes sense now. Where is your uncle now?"

"On vacation with his wife, my uncle Zant, and Zant's wife." A raised an eyebrow and asked

"Where to?"

"Somewhere in Spain." He spaced out for a moment, then said

"I'm sure they're having fun."

"Oh. Well, I guess that you should go announce this to the army now." A said. Rick responded

"Oh yeah! Thanks! Let's go. They're probably growing impatient right now."

Rick and A got up and walked out of Rick's office. They walked out to the courtyard, where A broke away from Rick and stood next to Dartz. Rick then sat down on a throne that two soldiers brought for him and all the soldiers saluted him, surprising A.

Rick took a deep breath and said

"You are all probably wondering why I called you all here. So I'm not going to waste any more of your time. Anyways, the army has been fighting as a unified fighting force with only one task. That task being go in and destroy. That's an okay task and all, but our specialists are too spread out in the battlefield. So I devised new divisions for you guys, to organize you guys. I created three general divisions so far: The Tomahawk Stealth Operatives (TSOs), the Sanctuary Blackhawk Shock Troopers (BSTs), and then we have the Sanctuary Army Rangers."

There was suddenly excited chatter in the courtyard and Rick rose his hand for silence, which he immediately got.

Rick continued.

"Now, don't go thinking that I've placed you guys into the divisions already. You don't just get placed in...well, very few of you have been placed. To join the current divisions, you must meet the requirements and go through their training programs, tryouts if you will. For all of them, except the Rangers, there will be an immediate training period. For the Rangers you have to be a veteran of at least five years into the Sanctuary army. Then you have to bring a letter of recommendation from any of your superior officers, preferably your sergeant or captain. Finally, you have to go through a grueling training process. Finally, you become a Ranger and will be deployed accordingly. So that's it for now. If you want to apply to join any of the divisions then take an applications that will be provided for you at the barracks. That is all! Good day everyone!"

There was a large round of applause as Rick left to go back to his office. A figured he was busy, so he should be left alone. Besides, it possible that Green was back by this point, or would be by the time he got back. Might as well try his luck.

**The next day…**

A and Green, along with Rick's team, were on the SAM since they had been summoned for a special mission. A still worried about Green not having any protection besides himself, so unbeknownst to Rick, he had Green take several of his pokemon with her, in case something happened and she couldn't defend herself. He tried getting a good variety for the worst-case scenario, but he hoped this measure would be unnecessary.

Rick and the team were on their way to the Johto region, to recruit their next member. Rick had everyone meet at the table and was going to explain to everyone the mission. Everyone was already lost on what they were going to do already.

When everyone got to the table Rick started the meeting.

"Glad that you all could make it. I was going to need all the man power I could get."

A asked Rick

"What was the purpose of going on this mission? What are we going to go do?" Rick smiled and said

"I'm glad you asked A. We're going to recruit a new member and add them to our team." Jean asked

"And you needed all of us to come for this? Is he dangerous?" Rick shrugged and told him

"That has yet to be discovered, but this mission can get dangerous considering where it will be taking place. Ladies and gentlemen, were are going to a Team Rocket maximum security prison to get a recruit by the name of Neil Cross. He's a Team Rocket defector that was experimented on, thus giving him psychic powers. However, he's pretty unpredictable and Mr. Silph does tell me that he's very dangerous when crossed. We should treat this mission with extreme caution."

Winston said

"That's no place for the girls; I say that they should stay in the Mercury. Well, those that aren't properly trained in battle, especially close quarters."

Alara then said, slightly irritated

"So I'm guessing that I should stay here."

Rick followed up by saying

"You, Green, Amber, Anna, Fang, and Gloria."

Nero then asked

"What, Tsu's not staying?"

"Tsu was trained in close quarter combat. She's also extremely valuable in this mission."

Tsu stuck her tongue out at Nero and said

"In your face!" Rick rolled his eyes and continued

"Anyway, charging in is suicide, so we have to find a different approach."

Dartz asked Rick

"So how do you expect us to get in?"

"That's one reason why I've called you all here. I need ideas." He pressed a button on his computer console.

"Screech, how long until we arrive?"

He received a reply from Screech;

"Give or take two and a half hours sir."

"Thank you Screech!"

"Of course sir! You're welcome!"

Rick then said to his team

"Alright, we have that long to think of a strategy." A thought back to all the times he had infiltrated Team Rocket bases and asked

"How about we sneak in?" Rick looked at him and answered

"That would work if this place wasn't crawling with guards. We can try vents, but unless this place has a good way of getting to the roof we're not getting very far. Hell, we can't take the Mercury too close or we'll be discovered."

Jean suggested

"How about we mess with their computer systems? Can't DASI double as a computer virus?"

DASI suddenly appeared from the center hologram projector and said

"I can, but that will put them on high alert Captain Jean."

Rick sighed.

"So I guess that's one more plan that gets thrown out the window."

Rick sat back on his seat thinking of a plan until DASI asked

"Warlord Aeruthael, may I make a suggestion?" Rick motioned with his hands and said

"I'm kinda open to anything right now." DASI smirked and suggested

"How does this sound? How about you take your team and disguise yourselves as Team Rocket members and you as a Team Rocket executive? Your Team Rocket clearance should still work and you can also send one Team on a stealth run to disable the security systems and to release the recruit."

Rick seemed to have loved the suggestion

"That's a great plan DASI! Thank you!" DASI smiled, saluted, and said

"All in a day's work!"

A wasn't very thrilled.

"You mean to tell me that you expect me to wear a Team Rocket disguise?"

Rick sighed and said to A

"Yes, I do. We have disguises here. It's only for until we reach the command center and release the recruit."

A sucked his teeth and nodded his head

"Alright, but let's make it fast."

Rick nodded and thought for a second.

"Alright, now to choose who's going to be in the stealth team. Tsu, you can hack anything. I need you on the stealth team."

Tsu nodded and said

"Will do." Rick motioned to two others and said

"Nero and Shadow, you two are born stealth fighters. So you guys should go in this team." Both males nodded.

"Alright, let take at least one more."

Allen didn't hesitate to volunteer.

"I'll go!"

Rick was surprised at his offer to help and asked

"You, Allen?" The young Lucario nodded emphatically and stated

"Yeah, I'm a trained electrical engineer. I can help by bypassing security grids, powering down processes, and make repairs to consoles. I can help."

Rick looked at his father and asked him

"Are you alright with that Lucian? I mean, he is your son and all."

Lucian sighed and said

"I don't like him being on the battlefield...but I want him to grow up. I'll allow it."

Allen cheered and said

"Thanks dad!" Lucian grunted and warned his son

"Don't think that this means that I'm letting you act like a fool now. You better come back alive. Otherwise, what do I tell your mother?" Allen nodded and said

"I understand dad. I'll be careful."

Rick got everyone's attention, saying

"Alright, so we should rest up and prepare for the mission. We have two hours, then we suit up and get ready. We should go in with our human forms, except the stealth team. When we get to the armory and get ready, pack up with all the gear you need and wear it under your disguise."

A got up and walked with Green by his side, still not liking the idea of donning a Team Rocket uniform. He was stridently against them, so wasn't it treasonous to his morals to be using their uniform, even as a disguise?

"Michael, what's wrong?" Green asked him. A turned his head to her and asked

"Can't you just call me A like everybody else?" Green shrugged and said

"I don't see why. Your name is Michael, so you should be called Michael." A sighed and decided to just drop the matter, for now, and responded to the question.

"I hate the idea of wearing the same uniform as my enemy. I never had to use that trick before, and I certainly don't want to start. Even the idea of _looking_ like I support my enemy is just… repugnant!" Green tried to soothe him by saying

"But it's only temporary, then you can keep it off. Chances are you won't be using this method again." A grumbled and said

"I hope you're right." When they entered the room, A saw the Team Rocket uniform on his bed, and he gave out a resigned sigh.

"All right, let's get this over with." He stepped in while Green stepped out to give him his privacy. Soon, though, she heard a fair amount of cursing, and she rushed in to find him with his sheathed sword in his hand and a visible dilemma.

"Where am I supposed to put Savior?! I can't leave my weapon behind! What if I need it?" Green thought for a moment, then asked

"Could you put it down your shirt or something? Or perhaps in your pant leg?" A paused and thought for a moment, then tilted back and began to gently slide the sword, sheath and all, down the back of his shirt. He had to slip it past his pants a bit, but the belt of the uniform would keep it from slipping. Having his sword there required him to stand ramrod straight, but at least he had his weapon where it couldn't be seen. He looked at Green and said

"Thanks, you're a genius!" Green blushed and said

"You're welcome. Good luck." A looked at the clock and was surprised to find that his two hours were nearly up.

"How did that happen…? Oh well, I guess it's not important. See you when I get back!" Green nodded and watched him leave the door, feeling some unease in what he was going to be doing.

The team touched down on the Johto region, in their human forms and disguised as Team Rocket members. Everyone made their way to the Team Rocket prison. As soon as they arrived they were stopped by Team Rocket guards.

One of them said to Rick

"Halt there! Who are you?"

Rick replied by saying

"I'm a Team Rocket executive, or can you not see that?" The guard raised an eyebrow and asked

"Any proof?"

Rick handed them a file and said

"Here's my clearance. I was sent to check up on a prisoner named Neil Cross." The guard flinched in surprise and asked

"The psychopath?" Rick frowned and asked

"Is he really that bad?" The guard nodded and told him

"We have to sedate him to move him around. Hell, we keep him in a special confined space to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone." The guard read the clearance file and said

"Alright, everything checks out. Go right in." The guard saw the other members of Rick's team and asked

"Are all these members with you?"

Rick nodded

"Yes, they are my own personal guard and friends, if you will."

"Alright, go right in and a guard will be notified about your business and lead you to Prisoner Zero."

Rick was curious.

"Prisoner Zero?"

"That's our codename for Neil Cross. He was called Experiment Zero during his experimentation. So just go in and continue with you inspection of the prisoner." Rick nodded and said

"Thank you. As you were."

Rick and company walked into the prison and were met by a grunt that guided them to a different wing of the prisoner. As they were walking there, Nero opened an invisible portal so that the stealth team could break away undetected.

While the stealth team was gone Rick and the rest of the team arrived at a viewing station where they were greeted by a scientist.

The scientist saw Rick and said

"You must be the executive that wanted to see Experiment Zero."

Rick nodded and said

"Yes I am." Rick looked out the window and saw a large orb-like structure in the middle of the room.

"I'm guessing that he's in there." The scientist nodded and said

"Yes sir. He's currently confined in there." Rick stood straight and said

"I want to see him."

The scientist was shocked by his desire. He waved his hands frantically and said

"No can do sir! He is to remain in there. Also, he can't be released from here. The control panel is in a room three stories above us."

Shortly after he said that, an alarm went off. The gang were all nervous after hearing the alarm sounding. The rocket grunts and the scientist were all freaking out when they saw Neil's cell open. The rest of the team looked and saw the sphere open up to reveal an incredibly muscular, black haired, young man that was covered in tattoos. Neil walked out of his cell, looked up to the room where Rick's team was and smirked before running towards the exit. As he was making his way out, his path was blocked by guards. Neil was then covered in a blue aura and he punched towards the guards, sending a shockwave at them, and making them fly across the room and the wall was completely destroyed.

The scientist quickly spoke into a microphone.

"All guards to Sector 9! I repeat, all guards to Sector 9! Experiment Zero has escaped!" The scientist looked at Rick and said

"We have to get out of here!"

Rick smirked and replied

"This is actually going like we planned it to go."

The scientist's eyes shot open when he realized what was going on.

"You're a fraud!" he shouted. Rick rolled his eyes and said

"Took you long enough. Now go to sleep!" Rick quickly hit the scientist and the guards with **Hypnosis** and then told everyone that they had to be ready to fight now. Rick quickly took his disguise off to reveal Kevlar combat armor with combat knives. A was surprised by Rick's gear and then looked at the rest of the team and saw them with similar gear. He drew Savior out of the back of his shirt and made sure the sheath was secured against his belt.

Rick said to his team

"Alright, let's try to make this quick. Let's find Neil and get him out of here. We will have fight our way to him though. So are you guys ready?" The team nodded and Rick called the others on his ear mounted communicator

"Guys, time to fight! Try to meet up with us. Be careful!"

With that Rick and his team walked out of the room where they were met with Rocket Grunts pulling guns on them. A reacted quickly and made a steel wall come between them and the grunts. The team decided to go the other way and went down a stairwell to get away from the grunts.

Rick sent a message to the SAM.

"DASI, shut off communications. We don't want reinforcements."

He received a reply that everyone heard in their earpiece.

"Acknowledged!...Complete! Communications have been cut off."

"Great work DASI!"

Once Rick finished his call to DASI he was asked by Dartz

"So what do we do? Just run until we find this Neil guy?"

Rick shook his head and said

"We follow the destruction until we find the guy."

Dartz suddenly noticed something strange and remarked on it.

"Isn't it odd that this is a prison and yet we've only seen one cell?" Rick thought about it, then shrugged and said

"I guess Neil was so much of a danger that they made a prison for himself. I guess that we'll get the chance to ask him later. Let's hurry this up."

The entire team nodded and kept going down until they reached a door. Jean kicked the door open and inspected the room for hostiles. When he couldn't find any he called the rest of the team in and they found themselves in a hallway with multiple rooms.

A asked Rick

"Which way do we go?"

They suddenly heard a loud crash and Rick chuckled and said

"That way."

A and Jean began to laugh at the scenario and then both kicked the door down. As they did that they were met with a cafeteria full of Rocket grunts. A facepalmed as Jean said to Rick

"We picked the wrong door."

Seras sighed and said

"Leave it to Jean to pick the wrong door."

"Hey! It's not completely my fault. It's A's fault too."

A stopped facepalming and said "What!?"

Rick got their attention.

"Guys, get ready for a fight!"

A put away his sword, not wanting to actually kill anybody, enemy or otherwise. He rushed forward and began knocking grunts flat on their backs. He took the time to knock two grunts' heads together, and shortly after he heard a scream of pain behind him. He looked around to see a grunt rushing at him with a knife that he recognized as Rick's. A quickly knocked out the grunt and gave Rick his thanks before driving an incoming grunt into a wall by pushing hard into his stomach.

Grunts began rushing him from all sides, and A disappeared, making them pause before one fell over unconscious, revealing A behind him. He disappeared and repeated the process, taking down a large number of grunts, including some that had escaped the rest of the team's attention.

After a while, the team looked around and saw that all the grunts were incapacitated. They all took a moment to rest until they heard the group of grunts from upstairs coming towards the room. A thought fast and made a steel bar, put it at the door handles, and twisted it.

A said to the team

"We don't have a lot of time left. Let's find this guy."

The team nodded and walked into the next room, where they saw Neil sitting on a pile of dead grunts. He laughed and said

"I have to admit, that was entertaining to watch. You guys are true warriors. I like that."

Rick walked forward and asked

"Neil Cross?" Neil spread his arms wide and grinned, saying

"The one and only. And you are?"

"My name is Warlord Aeruthael. I was sent here to give you an offer." Neil raised an eyebrow, asking

"Oh? Is that so? What can a Gallade offer me?"

Rick was astonished on how Neil knew he was a Gallade since he was in his human form.

"How do you know that I'm a Gallade?"

"I can read your aura and it tells me what you are. You're Project Alpha, aren't you? I've been dreaming of the day I would meet you. What is your offer?"

Rick explained while changing back to his original form.

"I came here to recruit you."

"Recruit me?"

"Yeah. You hold a vendetta against Team Rocket and so do I. I am here to make you part of my team."

"What's in it for me?"

"You won't be locked up twenty four hours a day and you won't be regarded as a prisoner. Also, I'll help you get your revenge."

Neil began to laugh again and then said

"I like you. You know what, I'm going to accept that offer if, and only if, you can get me out of here."

Rick chuckled and told him

"Neil, we just took out an entire room full of grunts. I think we can do more than just get you out of here."

They stopped talking when they heard the grunts begin to bash the door to get it open. Rick sighed and teleported Shadowbane into his hand. Neil looked at Shadowbane and said

"That's a wicked looking sword. Looks like it was made to rip people to shreds. It's all serrated and dark. Truly a warrior's weapon."

Rick replied by telling him

"She's called Shadowbane. It was my father's sword and he passed it down to me."

"Shadowbane? Pretty dark name."

"Yeah, but she gets the job done."

"Let's see. Get ready, here they come!"

They heard one more crash, but suddenly there was a calm until they heard gunfire coming from the other side of the door. After a short while the firing stopped and the door flew across the room to reveal the stealth team and a room full of dead or unconscious grunts. Tsu was there with her arms glowing blue, revealing that she was one that blasted the door.

Nero walked up to the team and said

"We've gotta go. We ran into some grunts, we beat them but they let lose their pokemon. I see that you got Neil, so let's go!"

Rick and the rest of the team nodded and began to run towards an exit. After a few moment of running they saw an exit and quickly darted for it. However, before they could make it they were cut off by a group of pokemon.

Rick scoffed and said

"Well, just out luck. Fall back guys. I'll take care of these guys myself."

A quickly asked

"How?" Rick's eyes darkened and he said

"The quick and easy way."

Rick quickly charged at the pokemon with Shadowbane and immediately killed a good number of them. Rick ducked under a Skuntank's **Night Slash** and stab it in the back. Rick quickly blocked a Scizor's **X-Scissors** and slashed it, making it fall down. Rick quickly killed the other pokemon and then turned his attention back to the downed Scizor. Rick walked up to it and swung down at it, but he quickly was blocked by someone. Rick looked and saw A using his sword to block Shadowbane.

Rick glared at A and said

"What do you think you're doing?!"

A rounded on him and shouted

"I could ask you the same thing! Where do you get off killing pokemon?!"

Rick scoffed

"I don't get off on it. It's something that must be done. Not for our own sake, but for their own. Now kindly get out of the way A."

A glowered at him and said

"Not until you explain yourself. How is it for their sake? And why are you betraying my trust?"

Rick gave an agitated sigh and replied

"Team Rocket pokemon go through a form of indoctrination process. It leaves them unable to do what is right or know good from evil. The only way to free them from this horror is to kill them. Also, I'm not betraying your trust."

A's eyes bugged out and he shouted

"Bullshit! Death is NOT the only way to free someone, and you ARE betraying my trust! You claimed you were going to protect pokemon; so why kill some from a specific group?! Are you really that biased?"

Rick glared at A and said in an extremely aggravated tone

"Better start losing the tone with me. You have no idea who you're talking to like that. You think you know Team Rocket better than I do? What you faced in your life against these guys is nothing. What you faced for years of fighting them is nothing compared to the years of torture they put me through. I know them better than you. So back off!"

A scoffed

"Of course I know Team Rocket better. I faced them off as Red the first time around! I even infiltrated all of their bases, defeated all their grunts, and beat them down, without ever killing a single soul! And before that, I fought against Cipher and their cursed shadow pokemon, and believe me, they have all gone through tortures you couldn't imagine. I myself experienced hell trying to control them, but I prevailed, even though it nearly cost me my life!" Rick scowled at A and sneered

"So you nearly died? Guess what, I DID die. I died seven times because of them. Oh sure you fought them and took them out of commission. However, you didn't succeed in ending any of your enemies. If you did, we would not be dealing with them now. You delayed their advances, but didn't stop them. I'm surprised that Giovanni didn't send me after you when you fought against Team Rocket. It had to be around the same time I was a Project."

A growled and shouted

"How dare you suggest that I failed?! If it wasn't for me, everything you know and love would be DEAD! I saved the world at least four times! Would you rather I had done nothing and allowed them to rule?"

Rick growled louder than before, but turned around and re-sheathed Shadowbane.

"I am not about to fight you A, but I won't have you jeopardizing our mission. So back off!"

A scoffed and raised his blade while saying

"And I'm not about to let some upstart whelp blatantly disregard my task in front of me!"

Before he had a chance to bring his blade down, Arceus' angered voice entered his head and shouted

"_Enough! We will talk about this later." _A began to feel his consciousness slipping, making him drop Savior. He heard Rick give an order for him to be arrested for insubordination and treason. A fought to remain awake and fight back as the guards lifted him up. Then he heard Rick say in his ear

"You say that you are unable to kill pokemon. Well this should eat away at your conscious, you just tried to kill me." After that, he completely blacked out.

A few hours later, he woke up on an uncomfortable bed, and he could hear Green's sigh of relief.

"Thank Arceus you're awake. What happened, why are you in prison?!" A sat up and said

"I tried to attack the Warlord."

"And I'm very displeased by that" Arceus said when he appeared with X, taking Green by utter shock. However, she didn't say anything. A sneered and said

"Well, well, just the god I wanted to speak with. You have some explaining to do." X nearly lost it and shouted at A while grabbing his shirt

"How dare you speak to your lord in that manner! I ought to-" he was cut off when A shoved him roughly back, shouting

"You'll do nothing! My issue lies with the one who refuses to inform me of matters that pertain to me!"

"I should strip you of your Knighthood, Alpha. I am very disappointed in you right now." A snorted scornfully and said

"What, are you going to punish me for trying to do my job now? If that's the case, then go ahead. But before you do, I want a full, lengthy explanation as to why you didn't warn me ahead of time that the Warlord was a murderer and a breaker of his word!" X drew Shadowbane and lunged at A, but Arceus stopped him just before Shadowbane could skewer A's throat.

"That's enough. I will handle this. Perhaps it would be best if you leave." X hesitated, then bowed to Arceus before glaring at A from under his hood. Then Arceus turned to A and said

"How dare you attack the Warlord? I thought I gave you explicit orders to-"

"Well your orders weren't explicit enough! Rick went around killing pokemon, pokemon he claimed were indoctrinated and couldn't be saved! I refuse to believe that any pokemon can't be saved, especially after what I went through with Cipher, and I will not stand by idly while somebody blatantly challenges my morals, my beliefs, and my god-appointed task!" Arceus sighed deeply and said

"Oh, now I understand what's going on. Perhaps this will require a lengthy explanation after all." A said nothing and waited. Arceus sighed again and stated

"You and Aeruthael have had different experiences. While you were campaigning originally against Team Rocket, the Rocket Project was still in its baby steps, which is why they weren't sent after you. And while I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I'm afraid Aeruthael is correct. Once a pokemon has been indoctrinated, there is no hope of return." A crossed his arms and said

"You'll have to forgive me if I don't believe that." Arceus eyed him and said

"Alpha, during the entire time I've known you, have you known me to lie?" A snorted and said

"No, not quite, but in my eyes you have quite a reputation for holding back the truth, which is just as bad in my view. Now tell me exactly why it is impossible to save a so-called 'indoctrinated' pokemon." Arceus sighed again and began to explain.

"You see, Team Rocket was interested in the fact that Cipher had a legion of pokemon that would follow their commands, but were also worried because shadow pokemon had a tendency to attack trainers, including their own. So, they decided to alter their pokemon by brainwashing them to the extreme, to the point that the pokemon would never question Team Rocket; their plans, goals, and behaviors were the only right ones in their eyes. Even I myself cannot change them back." A uncrossed his arms with an expression of unease over his face.

"So… there really is no way to save them?" he asked hopefully. Arceus sadly shook his head and replied

"None. I'm sorry I didn't warn you about this before-hand. I had hoped you and Aeruthael would have discussed the subject, but that is no excuse on my part. I won't strip you of your title for this. However, if you repeat this move, you will automatically lose your title. Just know this; Aeruthael does feel the guilt from his actions, but he's really performing a blessing." Arceus disappeared, leaving A with Green and a very depressed mood right now. He walked back to the bed and said to himself

"Why me?" Green moved closer and hugged him, saying

"At least you know what you need to do now." A shook his head and replied

"No. Rick can deal with the indoctrinated pokemon. I don't want their blood on my hands." Savior then appeared to them, his hair flashing in different colors. A had introduced him to Green before-hand, so she wasn't surprised by his presence.

"Savior, what are you doing here?" Green asked. Savior looked at A and said

"Your will is strong, and your values are commendable. However, you won't be able to do this without some amount of bloodshed, and some of that will fall on you." A looked up desperately and asked

"Does it have to?" Savior gazed at him pityingly and said

"Come now, you are nearly a century old. You ought to know well by now that you can't have everything your way, no matter how bad things are. I understand you hate to kill, and I admire that. But would you really condemn someone to an unbearable torture if it meant you didn't feel guilty about directly ending their suffering?" A reflected on this for a moment, then asked, depressed

"So that's the way it is, huh?" Savior nodded sadly and left. Shortly after he did, Rick entered the room. He looked at Green and asked

"Green, could you leave us for a minute?" Green nodded and walked out of the cell. Rick looked at A and said

"You and I need to speak."

A turned his head slowly and said in a depressed tone

"We're traitors to each other's causes, aren't we?"

Rick scoffed saying

"Well, kind of, but not necessarily. You have to admit, you messed up. However, I kinda didn't do my job and informed you as of what we do in this war."

A snorted and said

"Well, I also partly blame Arceus. I thought he would have told me what to expect, especially if it completely spits my job, morals, and beliefs in the face. I'm sorry I attacked you, or tried anyway. But I can't stand hypocrisy, and you had me thinking that you lied to me, merely to get me on your side." A thought for a moment, then faced Rick

"Just so you know, I wasn't trying to kill you. I was going for a strike with the flat of the blade. But I suppose that doesn't really change anything. I don't expect it to, but I thought you should know." Rick sighed and said

"I forgive you, but you should be ready to explain that to the Council once we get back to the Sanctuary. Any treason charge is taken to the Council for trial. Sadly, treason is one of our most severest of crimes." Rick sighed again.

"I wish I wouldn't have charged you with it, but I had to do my job. I'll make sure to get you a good lawyer. I'll send you Amber."

A grunted and said

"Why not just convict me and get it over with? I was in the wrong; I admit that. But I don't need the added stress right now. Besides, something about the pokemon we faced earlier concerns me, and I would like to devote my attention to that matter. I need to speak with Arceus again and go somewhere, retrieve something, and make sure my suspicions are right or wrong. I hope I'm wrong, but it's better to be prepared."

Rick nodded and said

"I hope it helps. However, focus on what's going to happen in the immediate future. Sadly, I can't convict you here and now. There are processes that must be followed in this society. However, to make things easier on you, when the Council asks you if you have anything to say just say 'I appeal to the Warlord'. That way, the trial goes to me and I pick your punishment or I just throw it all away like it never happened."

A though about it, then nodded and said

"Fine, I'll do it. We need to get this over with as soon as possible, though. If I'm right in my suspicions, I need to retrieve my... item as soon as possible, or else there will be far more suffering happening, on everybody's part. I can't explain it right now, but once I return, I'll tell you what I think."

Rick shrugged and smirked

"Then don't tell me what it is until you get it. However, you want to explain to me why you got so livid against me?"

A hesitated, then replied

"Well, like I said before; I believed you were going to protect pokemon, not kill them. It felt like a betrayal of my trust. Besides which, my line of duty is the Guardian of Pokemon, and when you start killing those I'm supposed to protect... I mean, how do you deal with that? By just sitting around and letting it happen? No, that's not who I am. So my first reaction is to take down whoever's jeopardizing my task, regardless of who they are. And before you ask, yes, this would apply to Arceus if it ever happened."

Rick's smirk faded

"That's either bold or completely stupid. Arceus would kill you instantly if you tried. Anyways, I understand that I did something that goes against what you stand for, but sadly there's no other way. Once Team Rocket indoctrinates a pokemon, it's impossible to save them. Trust me, I've tried. However, I couldn't free them from the control and Silph Co. couldn't find a way to do it either. There's no way. So I just put them out of their misery. You think that I don't feel bad for killing them? I do, but I know there's no other way."

A shook his head and said, sort of mumbling

"No, no, that's not right. They said it couldn't be done, but I defied the odds anyway." He zoned out of the cell for a few moments, seeing the not-so-verdant lands he used to call home. Then the image of a sharp, dark purple bird entered his mind and he thrashed for a moment to rid himself of the image.

"Sorry, bad memory. But maybe... just maybe..."

Rick looked at him curiously and asked

"I kinda heard some of that. Please explain."

A hesitated, then relented and said

"It happened after I defeated Cipher and snagged Shadow Lugia, or to them, Project XD001. They told me it was impossible to purify. I didn't listen and tried to use the normal methods. But they failed, and Lugia attacked me directly."

A shivered and thrashed again, then continued.

"I finally managed to do it, but I suffered from PTSS for much of my Kanto reign. That's why I hope I'm wrong." A looked at the ceiling and began to whisper to himself. A's tone suddenly sounded more maniacal and he drew his sword. He ran the sharp end over the palm of his hand, snapping himself back to attention.

"Arceus, I hate Cipher for what they did to me. All of them, in fact. I'm glad they're well dead in my time, but being here is just starting to bring it all back."

Rick understood.

"Alright, I can see where you're going at with this. Listen, I understand perfectly. I've also been told about what happened with Shadow Lugia from Giovanni. All Projects were briefed on what happened. Let me give it to you straight, Shadow Pokemon and indoctrinated pokemon are not the same. Once can be purified and the other cannot. Pokemon are indoctrinated by changing their brain processes to only think about what Team Rocket would like. We Projects were immune to the indoctrination because our designs were made prior to the process itself. Shadow Pokemon had their hearts tainted, but they still had the chance to be purified."

A shook his head "I hear you. You can go. It's probably best to leave me this way for a while." He laid his head against the wall and breathed out

"Besides, why waste your energy on a criminal like me?"

Rick got up and said

"Very well, I'll let you calm down. However, I'm leaving Green in here to keep you stable." A shrugged and said

"Fine. See you later." A moment after Rick left, Green returned, and her presence was enough to begin to calm him down.

A couple of hours later, A was standing in a small podium for his trial. He hoped to get this over with soon, as he needed to speak with Arceus again. He stood impatiently, and after ten minutes from their arrival, the councilors that made up the judging party came out and took their seats. One of them, an old Gallade, stood and said

"Alright, the trail of the Sanctuary vs. Mr. A shall commence. Councilor Zene, please read the charges."

An older Gardevoir nodded her head and said

"Yes head councilor. The charges are: One count of military insubordination and one count of treason against the Warlord."

"Thank you councilor." The Gallade looked at A, who was at the defendant's stand and said to him

"You do know that this is a very serious charge, don't you son?"

A sighed and said

"Yes, I'm aware of this." The Gallade nodded and said

"Very well. Let us begin. First, let me ask you, how do you plea?" A's heart began to pound, and he looked up at the councilors and said

"I instead have an appeal."

The councilors were surprised by the declaration. The apparent leader of the council nodded his head and asked

"Very well. What is your appeal?"

A smirked and said

"I appeal to the Warlord."

There was a sudden uneasy silence in the court. The councilors looked at one another and spoke to each other. One of them, a younger looking Gallade stood up and yelled

"Absolutely not! I deny the appeal! There is no fathomable way that I will send this trial to the Warlord to decide!"

The room suddenly became dark and cold. Everyone looked at Rick and saw his eyes glowing and him growling. Rick then called back the darkness and returned everything back to normal. He then jumped off the balcony he was on and landed next to A.

Rick glared at the councilor and said

"Zenek, last time I checked, that's not your call to make! If someone appeals to the Warlord, then I choose whether or not to accept it. You can't reject the appeal. So sit down since this is your time to be quiet." He took a deep breath and said

"Alright, I accept the appeal."

Rick walked forward and sat down on a throne that was brought by his soldiers.

As Rick sat down A asked

"So should we start?"

Rick chuckled and said

"Yeah. Alright, let's make this quick. I am a busy individual, and I'm sure that the councilors and you are as well. I've already heard everything about this case so I'll move on to the decision." Rick took a deep breath and said

"Alright, here's the decision. I find him not guilty and we can all move on with our lives. The case gets thrown out, so do the charges, and we never speak of this trial again. How does that sound councilors? It lets us continue with our on our ways and on with our lives, because, let's face it, none of us want to be here right now so late in the afternoon."

The councilors looked at one another and they all, but Zenek, agreed.

The lead Gallade then said

"Alright, we can agree to that. Mr. A is found not guilty and this trial never happened. Goodbye everybody!"

Zenek then yelled

"Are all of you insane!? This whelp has committed high treason! The penalty for that should be immediate death!"

Rick growled in frustration against Zenek, but A drew his sword and pointed it at Zenek saying

"Care to volunteer?"

Zenek didn't respond, instead he sat back down and stayed silent. Everyone, even the councilors laughed at the sight of someone silencing Zenek and they all left the court quickly.

Outside, A looked for Rick and found him talking to the Chief. He tap Rick on the shoulder and said to him

"Thanks sir!"

Rick chuckled and said

"You're welcome! However, don't let it repeat itself. Next time I might not let everything slide."

A nodded and said

"I understand. Thank you!"

"Go back home and get some much needed rest. I'll see you at another time. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye sir!" A ran for the elevators that moved between the dens and hit the 22 button. After a considerable amount of time, he rushed out and was barraged with questions from his pokemon. He stopped them all with a shrill whistle, then said

"Okay, look; I was tried as a criminal, but the Warlord and I have come to an understanding. The case has been dropped and that's final!" With their curiosity sated, they all dispersed. A ran to his mansion and met up with Green. She asked him

"Are you going to be all right?" His gaze glazed over as he looked beyond the buildings, toward the beach.

"I will be, once I get something. I'll talk about it when I get back, alright?" Green hesitated, then nodded. He disappeared and reappeared on the beach. Then he raised his voice and called out

"Arceus, I must speak with you!"

"_I know what you seek. Come to the Hall and I shall speak with you there."_ A unclipped his badge and opened the portal, then stepped through it. Soon enough, he arrived in the main hall, where X was as well. X didn't appear happy to see him but made no moves against him.

"What do you want, A?" X asked brusquely. Undeterred, A said

"I need Arceus' assistance." X grunted and turned back to Arceus, asking

"What did you wish to speak with me about my lord?"

"I wanted to ask you if the fates have altered since Aeruthael's mission." X frowned behind his mask, and said

"Allow me to check for a moment." He disappeared briefly, and when he reappeared, his voice had a certain gravity to it.

"I'm afraid so, my lord. It seems A revealed too much, so he is to be blamed for it." A rolled his eyes and ignored his last comment. Arceus shook his head and said

"Oh, how badly this will go. Alpha, I know you wish to retrieve… your item, but I know not where to take you." A nodded and said

"I need you to transport me back to my time, to the top of Mt. Silver in the Johto region." Arceus nodded and surrounded himself with the blue and pink glow again, taking A with him to his destination. A shivered slightly as the frigidity of the weather hit him like a club. Then he focused on his task and began to look around.

Once he had his location in better detail, he moved toward the edge of the cliff. He drew Savior and pointed it at the ground, removing the snow, then shifting the ground away. He stopped when an arm-length box appeared, and he sheathed Savior, bending down to pick it up. He replaced the earth, then fished out an old key he had been hanging on to ever since he buried this box. He inserted the key into the lock and twisted. It took a while before the thing finally opened, and A peered inside the box. Upon seeing the lights shining brightly, he smiled and said

"Still pristine." He closed the box, turned back to Arceus and waited to be returned to the past.

**Okay, I think that's plenty long enough. Let me know what you guys think.**


	38. Ch 38: A Loss Within A Loss

**Okay, one and all! I've got a real surprise for ya this chapter, but you'll have to read and find out what it is. On another note, I've decided to create a Story Spotlight, like my good buddy galladefenrir44, as well as the ratings for the month. Another matter of importance, if you check my profile now, you'll see an interesting poll on there. I don't want to reveal it and spoil the surprise, but I believe you'll find it intriguing nonetheless. So, with that out of the way, let's get started. **_**Story Spotlight; 3 Steps To Pokemon, by nomnompatrat47. **_**Ratings; 1st) United States 2nd) Canada 3rd) Australia 4th) United Kingdom 5th) Netherlands.**

A was returned to the Hall of Origins in the past, and he returned thence to the twenty-second den. He still carried his precious cargo with him, and he quickly but quietly slunk back into the mansion. He went to the kitchen and set the box on the table. Green walked in right after and asked

"What's that?" A looked up at her and replied

"This is the very weapon that Cipher fears above all else. It was with this that I defeated them, and then hid away shortly after my Kanto reign, hopefully to never again see the light of day. But with my suspicions, I've decided to bring it back out." He flipped open the lid to reveal a sort of brace-looking item, one that had a small piece connected to a gloved portion by a glowing wire. Both portions of the "weapon" had glowing pokeball-looking lights on them, and where the other half was situated was also a headband-like piece. Green looked at all of this and asked

"This is the… weapon you told me about?" A nodded and picked it up gently, telling her

"Yes. This is the Snag Machine. It's the only instrument available with the capability of taking shadow pokemon away from another trainer so the wielder of this weapon may purify them." Green frowned and pointed at the headband, asking

"And that?" A chuckled and said

"First thing's first." He slipped his left hand into the gloved portion of the Snag Machine, remembering the feel of the soft leather. Then he picked up the other part and pressed on the glowing pokeball symbol, then stretched the cord until it reached his shoulder, then a little farther so he could still fully maneuver his left arm. Next, he pressed the button twice, and when he did, small rubber padded clamps revolved out of the second portion of the Snag Machine. A set the portion against his shoulder, making sure it was in place. Then he pressed the button one more time, and the Snag Machine's clamps pressed down onto his shoulder, securing it, though not uncomfortably. He sighed in relief and said to himself

"Good, it still fits." Then he turned his attention back to the box and fished out the headband, then fixed it carefully on his head. He pressed the button on the side, on the bulked portion of it. A small screen with a pokeball symbol on it slid in front of his left eye, and he saw the words "Rebooting; Please wait" on it. He grunted and left it, then heard Green ask

"What exactly are you doing with all that?" A smirked, then explained.

"This is called an Aura Reader; it allows the wearer to identify shadow pokemon based on a dark, shadowy aura surrounding the pokemon. Then I simply place a pokeball here-" he pointed his finger at the shoulder portion of the Snag Machine, "it gets processed through here-" he ran his forefinger and thumb down the wire, "then comes out as a Snag Ball in the palm of my hand. I throw it at the shadow pokemon, it snags the pokemon, and I hopefully capture it. If it doesn't, I have to try again." Green frowned and asked

"Is this thing even safe? It looks like it would electrocute someone." A chuckled and replied

"No, that what _I _would do if anyone else dared to lay their hands on this. Anyway, I need to have a word with the Warlord." Before Green could respond, A walked out the door and snapped his fingers. He didn't get the result he wanted, though it was the result he _expected_. Then he clapped his hands, with still nothing happening. He chuckled, believing he was making himself look like an idiot now. Then he raised his voice and called out

"I need one of those guards to help me here!" Once more, nothing happened. A scowled now and crossed his arms, then said

"Okay, seriously, I need one of you to summon the Warlord. It's of monumental importance." Finally, one of the guards appeared before him, and A thought

"_It's about time."_ The guard told him

"I heard that. Tell me, why should we follow your orders? You do not have the status to command us." A growled and told him

"Look, I need to speak to the Warlord and I don't have time to be traipsing around the Sanctuary in a wasted effort to find him. Will you just take five minutes out of your time and tell him that I need to see him?" The guard scowled and crossed his arms, saying

"Fine, but if I get into trouble for leaving my post, you'll be the one to address it." A snarled and threw his hands in the air, saying

"Fine, whatever! Just go and get Rick!" The guard watched the movements of the Snag Machine, and it was clear he was interested, but he abstained from asking anything and simply disappeared. A growled in frustration and muttered darkly

"Damn, if that had been a life-or-death situation, we would have lost many lives." A shook his head and said to himself

"I need a vacation one of these days." He disappeared and reappeared on the beach. He loved looking out over the rolling, salty waters. Although he had a bad affiliation with the ocean where Cipher was concerned, since he had to travel over it and its dangerous rapids to reach Citadark Isle, the sight of normal, calm waves brought peace to his mind.

In time, Rick showed up, and he asked

"Why have you summoned me?"

A took a deep breath and kept looking out at the water, replying

"A scene like this is very tranquil, wouldn't you agree? I find that such scenery is helpful to change the dark corners of one's mind."

Rick scowled and told him

"Don't change the subject. Answer my question. Why have you summoned me here?"

A sighed and turned to reveal the Snag Machine and the Aura Reader that went with it.

"This."

Rick looked at the device on A's arm and examined it closely. After a few moments he said

"A metal arm brace? I sense a purpose coming up."

A smirked and told him

"I believe that you're familiar with the phrase 'looks can be deceiving'. The case here is no different. This is actually a weapon with one purpose in mind."

"And that would be...?"

"To snag shadow pokemon. You told me that indoctrinated pokemon could not be saved. While I'm not inclined to agree with that, at least not initially, Arceus confirmed your words. However, I had my suspicions, and we both can agree that it was possible that Team Rocket might be using Cipher to create more shadow pokemon. They also couldn't be indoctrinated; the process would destroy the pokemon utterly. Therefore, the future pokemon we face will either be indoctrinated or shadow pokemon. You have your way of dealing with the indoctrinated pokemon. This is how shadow pokemon will be dealt with."

Rick looked at A with a serious expression and asked

"So what are you planning to do with that? What's the difference between shadow pokemon and indoctrinated pokemon? Don't lie to me. When I was in Team Rocket I read the file on them."

"Well, shadow pokemon have no room for compassion in their hearts. All they feel is anger and hatred. This improves during a purification process, but they won't be able to feel compassion until the purification process is complete. Also, shadow pokemon cannot use any moves relative to their species. They use something moves called Shadow Move, that are distinct to them alone."

A then pointed at the headpiece.

"This is called an Aura Reader. This device helps identify shadow pokemon in the form of a purple aura. Only shadow pokemon will be seen with it. It's the easiest way to identify them."

Rick thought for a second and then said

"Alright, so the Aura Reader identifies them and the device on your arm catches them. My question is, how do you intend to find pokeballs? None are sold here and I told you never to walk around with them while you're here." A nodded and told him

"I'll get some, but the shadow pokemon will need me to purify them. So I'll have to carry them around. They're too dangerous to have roaming around. So I'll have to make an area where I can purify them in peace." Rick nodded and replied

"Alright, I understand completely. However, let me make something clear to you here and now. If any of them escape and harm any of my people, I will have no choice but to kill them, but that's only if they hurt anyone. This isn't a betrayal of your trust, I'm just doing my job. Is that clear?" A nodded again and said

"I understand. It won't ever happen, I promise you. However, I'll need transportation to the Orre region from time to time to help purify them. So I might need access to the Mercury at a moment's notice. So do I have permission? Otherwise the trek will take me at least a week."

Rick considered his request and answered

"Well, not the Mercury. I have something else for you." A frowned and asked

"What?" Rick smirked and replied

"It's a surprise. When you need it, I will present it to you."

"Alright, I'll take your word for it. However, I have one more request."

"What?"

"Can we go to the Orre region soon? There's something I have to see."

Rick grunted and said

"How long will we be there?" A thought, then shrugged and said

"Thirty minutes to an hour and a half average."

Rick nodded and said

"Sure, we'll leave in two days. However, I'm not planning to stay in that region for too long." A nodded and said

"Understood, thank you."

Rick smirked and then said

"Now I have one more question. How will WE know which pokemon are Shadow Pokemon? We don't have the Aura Reader."

A nodded and handed Rick the Aura Reader, telling him

"Have that replicated. It'll help you guys. However, I'll never have the device on my arm replicated." Rick nodded and told him

"Wouldn't dream of it. Does that device also have a name?"

"Yes, it's called the Snag Machine."

"Good to know. Anyways, I'll have the Reader returned to you soon. For now I'll return to my home and my future wife."

A chuckled and responded

"Yeah, you don't want to keep a girl waiting."

Rick laughed and told him

"She won't be mad, but I promised her that I'll be home quickly." Rick stopped when he looked out to the water.

"I forgot to tell you, don't go out too far out to sea here. Eventually, you will hit the den's wall. I don't know how far it is though."

A arched an eyebrow and asked

"What made you think that I was going for an extended swim? I have no desire to getting the Snag Machine wet, or to take it off...unless I'm bathing."

Rick smirked and pointed out to the water

"I'm actually talking about the Kabutops that's swimming all the way over there. A jolted and looked out, saying

"Huh?" A focused on the figure and then began to shout while waving his fist

"Dang it Mitch! How many times do I have to tell you not to go anywhere without telling me?! Every time you do, we end up having to take on some second-rate challenger!" A then sighed.

"He'll never change."

Rick laughed and patted him on the back, telling him

"Trust me, after living with Jean for a few years, you tend to get used to it." Rick looked back at the Kabutops and then saw a Gyarados suddenly lunge out of the water and pull the Kabutops under. Rick was shocked and asked slowly

"What...just happened?"

A smirked and replied

"Looks like a Gyarados just came up and ate Mitch."

Rick looked at A and was surprised on how nonchalantly he was taking the situation.

"Is that your Gyarados or did he really get eaten just now?" A chuckled and told him

"Oh no, it's not mine. Mitch was tormenting a group of Magikarp years ago, and their mother came up and just ate him." Rick kept looking at him askance and asked

"Aren't you going to do something?"

A smirked and began to countdown

"3...2...1." The Kabutops suddenly shot out of the water with the Gyarados giving chase. The Kabutops the hit the Gyarados with an Ancient Power and got away. Rick shook his head and said to A

"Well, I'll be leaving now. Bye!" He teleported away, and A watched as Mitch swam to the beach, still a fair distance from him. He shook his head, then looked down at the Snag Machine and said to himself

"Might as well put this away for now. It's no good without the Aura Reader to tell me whether or not there's a shadow pokemon around. And I need to make sure the Relic Stone is still in working order." He disappeared and reappeared at his mansion, then went back to the kitchen and took the Snag Machine off, treating it as delicately as a baby made out of glass. When it was put into the box, he disappeared to his room and searched for the ideal place to hide it. Eventually he settled on the top shelf of his closet, then insisted on making sure it was well-hidden. Once he was satisfied, he went to take care of some other business.

[Two Days Later; Agate Village, Orre Region]

A walked into the Relic Forest after having told the rest of the team to wait outside for him. The morning had been stressful, and he reflected back on it.

**That Morning…**

A stepped out of his mansion, feeling good about today. He would check the Relic Stone and make sure it was still in working order. Then he'd erect some protection over it to ensure no one sabotaged it. But news he didn't want to hear would soon come to his attention.

Woof was walking up to him, his eyes red and forlorn, and A walked quickly up to him, asking

"Woof, what's wrong?" When the proud Arcanine looked up at him, A could see despair in his eyes, as well as a feeling of recent loneliness. A's heart dropped and he asked more severely than he intended

"What happened?" Woof choked on his words as he replied

"Lucy tried giving birth last night. But her body was unable to handle the strain; she died in labor." A's heart finished its descent to his feet and tears climbed to his eyes. He knelt in front of Woof and wrapped his arms around the legendary canine's neck, asking softly

"What happened with the doctors? What did they do?" Woof sobbed loudly before replying

"They did everything they could immediately, but it was no good. They told me it had something to do with her age; as Ninetails get older, they have an increased risk of infant or mother death." The tears ran down A's face and asked

"And the pup?" Woof took in a shaky breath, then said

"They saved him. But now they've had to find a substitute mother. Luckily, Kat recently gave birth to her own litter, and she agreed to help." A sighed in relief, though the tears still streamed freely. He said to him

"We'll have to thank her, and soon." Woof nodded and replied

"I already have, profusely. She waved it off, saying Lucy would have gladly done the same if the roles had been reversed." A chuckled sadly and said

"All of you would, I know that. You've all come to love each other like family and would do anything for each other. We should thank Arceus that Kat was able to help us." Woof sobbed and said shakily

"But now I'm lost without her, Alpha. I don't know how to raise a pup, and I don't think I can do it without her." A softly hushed him, then turned his face to him and told him

"You are never completely lost so long as you have your friends and family with you. And you know we'll do everything, in our power and out, to help you through this." Woof nodded but continued sobbing. A stood up and rubbed his neck, telling him softly

"If you want, we can hold a service for her when I return. You'll be by my side and give your last respects to her. Once everyone is finished, we'll give her a final send-off." Woof took a moment to compose himself, then said

"I'd like that. Thank you, Alpha, for saving me so long ago, and for helping bring us together. I really owe you for that." A hesitated, then said

"Then repay me by not giving up. I know it hurts, but she would want you to keep going, especially since you have a pup to raise. But we'll be here to help you when you need it. I want you to know that." Woof nodded, then walked away, still forlorn, but A couldn't blame him.

**Back In Relic Forest…**

The tears continued to fall down A's face as he finished his reflection, and he allowed a choked sob to escape his throat. He approached the Relic Stone, still in one piece, and laid a hand against the cool, moss-covered surface. After a short time, his sadness was beginning to distill, replaced by pleasant memories, which he desperately needed at this point.

Once he felt more at ease, he removed his hand and said to himself

"Good, its power seems to have strengthened over the years. One good thing that's happened today." Then he drew Savior and called upon the power of Earth. He lifted the sword and gave rise to several large earth and rock golems. He made sure they surrounded the stone pathway and platform that the Relic Stone rested on. Once he was satisfied, he replaced Savior in its sheath and placed his hand on the Relic Stone to dispel his sadness once again. But his effort was quickly interrupted when a haughty voice asked indignantly

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" A whirled around to find a Ninetails staring angrily at him. He frowned and asked

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" The Ninetails scoffed and began to circle him, coming to rest next to the pillar of stone. Then he sat on his haunches and spoke in a cocky voice.

"My name is of no importance to you, but this is my territory. You have no right or privilege to trespass!" A frowned and crossed his arms, saying

"Sorry to burst your bubble there, but this forest belongs to no one. It is a free space where all may come, and you cannot assume dominance over it." The Ninetails growled threateningly

"How dare you? You invade my territory and attempt to kick me out of what is rightfully mine? Who do you think you are?!" A scowled and raised his badge, saying

"I am Alpha, the White Knight of Arceus and the Guardian of Pokemon everywhere. As such, you present a clear and dangerous threat to pokemon who come here for peace. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The Ninetails growled again, but this time the growl was haunting, and the Ninetails said

"You would assume command over me, pathetic human? Well then, I say that you will better understand that which you claim to defend by assuming the form of one. I curse you to be a pokemon for one hundred years! Then we'll see if you are so hasty as to evict someone from their territory again!" Before A could retaliate or defend himself, the Ninetails hurled a ball of light at him. It connected and exploded in a flash of colors, and after no more than half a minute, A began to writhe in pain; it felt like his very bones were being broken and rearranged, and he heard Savior's scream in his mind.

"_NOOO!" _Then it died away, and A felt himself being thrown harshly back. He tumbled head over heels before crashing into a rocky wall, knocking him out clean and cold.

The next thing he knew, he was being roughly shaken and shouted at, much like an angry child with a doll. He punched the culprit and landed lightly on his feet, which felt remarkably flat. Then he looked up and saw his assailant was none other than Rick. He shouted

"Quit yelling! What's wrong with you anyway?"

Once Rick heard his voice he rolled on the floor laughing.

"Nice of you to join our '_team_' A!" A frowned and asked

"What the hell are you talking about? And why the emphasis on 'team'?" Rick chuckled hard and replied

"Look at yourself and you'll find out."

A looked at his hand, and upon seeing a silver three-fingered hand, his eyes shot open and he gave out a loud scream of

"DAMN IT!" Rick laughed again and asked

"Something you need to explain to me?" A's eyes darkened and he replied

"There was a Ninetails in the forest that tried to claim the entire forest as its territory. Apparently, it cursed me to live as a pokemon for a hundred years, and without Lucy's protection, the curse managed to get through."

Rick never heard that name before. He paused in his laughter and asked

"Who's Lucy?"

A's emotions suddenly shifted and Rick could feel sadness coming from him.

"Lucy was my Ninetails. She would always protect me from the curses of other Ninetails and ghosts. However, last night she died from complications in childbirth. The pup was saved, but she couldn't be."

Rick immediately stopped laughing and stood up. Then he asked seriously

"Why wasn't this brought to my attention? You know I would have done everything I could to have saved her."

A waved him off and told him

"No, there was nothing you could have done. Thanks for the concern. I'm alright." Rick hesitated, then said somberly

"I'm sorry." A nodded and said

"It's okay. Let's move on to something else. We need to find the Ninetails that cursed me and make it take back the curse."

Rick whistled, then said

"The bad news is that the Ninetails in most likely gone now. They have a tendency to disappear at a moment's notice."

A facepalmed and yelled

"Damn it!"

Rick chuckled and said

"Enjoy your life as a pokemon...or could I just give you back your human form?" A looked back up and asked

"What now?" Rick nodded and replied

"Yes, I can do that as can many psychic types. That's how the members of my team have human forms." A hesitated, then asked him

"Do you think it'll break the curse?" Rick shrugged and said

"I have no idea. Most likely not, but it's worth a shot." A sighed and said

"I figured. However, I have nothing to lose."

"Good! Close your eyes and take down any and all mental defenses." A nodded and did as he was told. Rick's eyes then began to glow and soon A began to glow until he was human again.

"There you're human again." A suddenly began to glow and he became a pokemon again.

"Well shit!" A sighed heavily and said

"I guess it didn't break the curse. Maybe I just have to work on being able to transform back and forth from pokemon to human." Rick nodded and said

"There's an idea...Can we leave now?" A hesitated, then attempted to call Savior back to him. When he couldn't even feel his presence, however, A gave up and said

"Fine, I guess we have no other purpose here."

[Two Hours Later]

The team was riding on Avion, trying to get home. They decided to not take the Mercury to avoid the threat of causing panic because of its appearance. They were flying over the Johto region and A was trying to transform back into a human, but with the same results each time.

Rick turned and looked at A and told him

"You know, eventually you're going to get tired."

A asked him

"You want me to stop?" Rick shook his head and said

"I want you to rest for a while. Start fresh when you have your energy." A hesitated, then said

"Fine, but we have to find a way to turn me back to normal. However, this is pretty badass" he said as he drew his arm blades. Rick warned him

"Be careful with your blades and your new psychic powers. Takes a while to learn." A shrugged it off and said

"I'll just get Loran, my Gallade, to teach me." Rick shrugged, then said

"Whatever floats your boat."

They kept flying until they were over the Indigo Plateau. Alara then asked

"Isn't that Kanto and Johto League?"

Jean answered her question.

"Yeah. The champ is probably in there waiting for their next challenger."

A chuckled, remembering that in all regions he technically held the title of Champion. Suddenly his mind felt lethargic, and he fell into a sort of trance. It was then he found himself in a blank, white room that eventually settled into the deadened forest he remembered from his dream battle with Alpha. He was still a Gallade, so he drew his new blades and shouted

"All right, you coward, where are you?! I'm ready for you this time!" Then he heard a familiar chuckle, along with a voice that said

"Sorry, only me." A whirled around and found Savior's spirit form grinning at him. Then Savior said seriously

"I thought I'd never be able to contact you. It's a good thing you calmed your mind a bit." A frowned and asked

"What's going on?" Savior shook his head and told him

"I'll explain it as best as I can later, but for now you should know that I'm an integral part of your natural swords now. That's why your chest spike is multi-colored. In the short, you can still use my power as your own, just on your arms. We'll have to experiment on this later. For now, there is a massive amount of power just sitting below Indigo Plateau, somewhere in Victory Road." A frowned and asked

"What is it?" Savior shook his head and replied

"I don't know, but I think it would be folly not to investigate it. Have Rick direct Avion to the entrance to Victory Road, or the exit, as would be the case, and investigate the problem properly. We'll return to the matter at hand after your service tonight." A nodded and focused on returning to his body. Once he had, he spoke to Rick, asking

"Hey Rick, can you land Avion?"

Rick was curious and asked back

"Why?" A frowned, narrowing his eyes, then responded

"I feel that there's something here." Rick frowned and asked

"Is it important?" A nodded and said

"I think it is. Just land Avion within the Victory Road."

Rick sighed.

"Alright, but there better be something."

Rick then commanded Avion to land. Avion chirped and flew into a hole that went into the Victory Road. Avion then landed and let everyone off. Once they were off Dartz asked A

"Alright, where to?"

A shrugged his shoulders and replied

"I have no idea." Everyone quickly facepalmed and shook their heads. Rick sighed and said exasperatedly

"So what was the point? Let's just go." He then noticed Avion walking to a cave wall. He asked the Titan

"Avion? What are you doing?"

Avion ignored Rick and began to peck at the wall. After a few pecks at the wall, Avion turned and hit the wall with his mace-like tail. The wall collapsed a hallway appeared. Once the wall fell, Avion began to shriek at something inside. Avion began to flap his wings and make himself look bigger, as if it was preparing to fight something. Rick walked up to Avion and tried to calm him down.

"Avion! Calm down! What's gotten into you?" Rick paused for a few seconds, then out of the blue shouted

"What!?" Rick turned to his team and said

"Apparently, we have a Titan in here."

Jean laughed and said

"Looks like A was right. However, we can't ignore it now. Avion left the door wide open." Rick sighed and responded

"True, but tread carefully guys." Rick looked at Avion and said

"Come with us. If anything, you can sense where the Titan is."

Avion chirped and began to glow. He began to shrink until he was the size of a parrot and perched himself on Rick's shoulder, surprising the team. Rick looked at the team and said

"Yeah, I just found out that he can do this a few days ago. Let's go."

The team walked down the hallway and saw that it appeared as if it was built expertly. A was remaining wary of anything that might approach them. They soon walked into what seemed like a temple. There was stained glass on the windows, even though they were underground. There were statues on the walls and an inscription that Rick couldn't read. Rick asked A

"Do you know what this says?"

A shrugged and replied

"Hell if I know." Right after he said that, Savior came in his mind again, though it didn't require him to return to the forest, and told him

"_The inscription reads as thus; Tread carefully in the lion's den or be devoured; Take up arms against the knight or be defeated; Ride the steed to safety or be left behind." _A frowned and asked him

"_You can read this? And what does that mean?" _Savior hesitated before replying

"_That's not important right now. Just keep on your guard." _Rick told Alara and Green

"You two should stay here. This Titan sounds like no joke if he can startle Avion."

Alara nodded and said to Rick

"Be careful. To be honest, I wanted to see this Titan for myself." Rick huffed and said

"I'm hoping that there really isn't a Titan."

Alara shook her head and teased him.

"Don't be a coward now."

Rick was surprised and asked her

"Don't you want me to be safe?" Alara nodded and replied

"Yeah, but you have a job to do. Go, we'll be fine here."

Rick nodded and the other members of the team walked on. Rick drew Shadowbane and waited until Avion made some sort of sign to give him the Titan's location. They eventually ran into a fork in the hallway, frustrating the team. Avion made the decision for them by flying down one hallway, and the team following. They followed Avion throughout the hallway until Avion stopped in the middle of an arena. Avion looked towards a cave at the end of the arena and began to grow back to his original state. Avion shrieked towards the cave and opened his wings to make himself look bigger. Rick looked at Avion and asked

"Is the Titan in there boy?" Avion chirped. Rick nodded grimly and said

"Then let's get this over with."

A loud growl was then heard coming from the cave and two giant red eyes appeared. Savior invaded A's mind again and said

"_Behold the glory of Titan Ixion." _Rick relayed the name of the Titan to the team, confirming what Savior said. After he said that he saw the Titan walking out of the cave. Ixion looked like a gigantic gold and silver lion with five horns, one longer horn sticking from his forehead. He had massive claws on his paws, a bladed tail, and a golden mane. There were a series of spikes running along his back.

Ixion saw the intruders in his domain and gave a monstrous roar, shaking the ground. Rick and the team drew their weapons and waited for Ixion to attack. Avion shrieked and taunted Ixion. Ixion eyed Avion and rolled into a ball and rolled over to the team, his spikes rolling like a saw. Rick and his team jumped out of the way and Avion flew into the air, making Ixion hit the wall. Avion then dove down and whipped his tail at Ixion as he got out of his ball state, clubbing Ixion on the side of his head.

While Avion and Ixion battled it out, Rick and his team tried to find where Ixion's sigils were. Seras said to the team

"Since he's a Titan we need to get rid of the sigils first."

Jean followed up by saying

"Yeah, but they're moving too much for me to tell."

Dartz scoffed and said

"You need to learn to concentrate. I already found three. Two under his front paws, and one on his back."

A then followed up with

"There's one in between its eyes as well." He then saw Avion dive down and sink his talons into the sigil on Ixion's forehead.

"Forget it, it's gone."

Ixion roared in pain and bit down onto Avion's tail. Ixion then swung Avion around and slammed him onto a wall. Once Avion was hurt, Ixion turned to the rest of the team and charged for them. Dartz worked quickly and used his wire to trip Ixion.

Dartz then taunted Ixion.

"What's wrong kitty? Can't beat the dog? Sucks!"

Ixion opened his eyes and opened his mouth towards Dartz. Suddenly a yellow ball of energy formed in Ixion's mouth. Dartz quickly summoned his spear and spun it vigorously as Ixion fired his attack at Dartz. Dartz managed to deflect the attack and got out of Ixion's way. Ixion got up and charged another attack, this time towards A.

A noticed Ixion taking aim and charged a Black Judgement attack on his right arm blade. Ixion then fired his attack, and A did the same. A's attack sliced through Ixion's and kept going. Ixion stood still and let the attack hit him. The attack, however, shifted its course and hit his horn for reasons unknown. Ixion then roared with a stronger vigor and fired another attack at A. A fired another Judgement at him, but this time Ixion's attack obliterated the Judgement and kept going towards A. Rick immediately appeared and teleported A out of the way.

Rick appeared behind Ixion and fired a Star Storm at Ixion. The energy balls however converged onto Ixion's horn and were absorbed into Ixion. Rick then realized what was going on.

"Guys, this thing can absorb energy attacks...and apparently it makes it stronger until the energy is used." Seras cursed her luck, saying

"Crap! Most of my moves are special attacks, so I can't use them."

"We'll have to adapt to fight this thing." Dartz then yelled

"Look out!"

They looked back and were barely able to dodge an energy attack from Ixion's horn. Ixion then growled and stood upright until he slammed his paws onto the ground, causing an earthquake. From the cracks in the ground emerged energy spikes that chased after the team. Luckily for the team, Avion woke up and rescued them. Avion then turned around hit Ixion on the horn, forcing him to fall over. Just then, A noticed a sigil on Ixion's belly. He jumped off of Avion and extended both of his blades, sinking them into the sigil.

Ixion roared in pain rolled upright, making A dangle in the air, his blades still in Ixion's belly. Ixion felt him and used his tail to try to take A off. A dodged the blade at the end of the tail by swinging to one side. Eventually Ixion wrapped his tail around A and pulled him out. Ixion used his tail bring A to his eye level and roared at him. He then began to squeeze A to death. A began to scream in pain and suddenly began to glow until he turned human again. Ixion almost killed A until Jean came diving from Avion's back and **Blaze Kicked** Ixion to make him let go of A.

Avion then appeared and hit Ixion with his tail. Rick jumped off of Ixion and caught A as he fell. Rick noticed that A was unconscious and used **Healing Pulse** on A, making him wake up.

Rick noticed and said

"Good, you're alive. Also, you're human again. I guess stress can do that to you."

A then said

"Excellent!" He then thanked Rick.

"Thanks. That was more painful than I thought."

"Well at least you're alive. Let's kill this thing. It only has two sigils left and we have a plan. DARTZ, NOW!"

They looked at Dartz as he wrapped his wire around Ixion, making him fall over. Rick and A then quickly ran over and stabbed the two sigils on Ixion's paws. Rick was about to go for a kill strike until he saw Ixion charge an attack in his mouth. Avion suddenly appeared and took the hit for Rick. Rick and Avion went flying through the air and Avion managed to catch Rick and fell to the ground carrying Rick. Avion then disintegrated and turned back into his Titan seal, in Rick's hands.

Ixion saw what he did and roared, sending a shockwave and throwing everyone away, except for A. The team tried to get back to the battlefield but were stopped by an energy shield that Ixion summoned. A looked up at Ixion and saw him begin to glow and change shape.

A said out loud in disbelief

"No...way!"

Ixion then stopped glowing and his appearance was different. This time he looked like an 18ft tall man in a complete suit of gold and silver armor, a long golden cape, he had a golden shield with a lion sigil on it, and a large dual-ended sword.

A got up and cracked his neck. He asked Ixion

"You want to challenge me, don't you?" Ixion nodded.

"Well, alright, but I'm not holding back." A then transformed into his battle form and said to Ixion,

"Come at me!"

Ixion then swung at A. A dodged the attack and returned attacks to Ixion. Ixion used his shield to block the attacks and fired energy balls at A, forcing him to jump into the air. Just then Ixion shield bashed him and sent A flying to wall. A pried himself off the wall and fired a thunderbolt at Ixion, who absorbed the attack and fired it back at A in the form of an energy blade. A blocked the energy blade by slicing it. Just then he was punched by Ixion, forcing him to the ground.

A got up and grabbed his blade, staggering, and surprised how powerful this Titan was. He then said

"You know, I never thought much about you Titans seeing how few you guys are. However, you guys are powerful, and I'm having the time of my life here."

Ixion cocked his head and charged energy into his blade and threw his blade like a boomerang, returning it to his hand. A ducked under the blade and ran towards Ixion. Ixion saw him and stomped down at him, with A dodging the attack. Ixion then kicked at and hit him, sending him rolling to the other end of the arena.

A got up and saw his shoulder popped out of its place. A held his breath and popped it back in place, giving into a brief cry of pain and ran back towards Ixion. Ixion fired an energy blade at A and A vanished as the blade hit the ground. Ixion looked for him and then felt his right knee getting slashed, making him fall onto the knee. He looked and saw A next to his injured knee. Ixion tried to bash A with his shield, but A threw his sword and it cut Ixion's arm, forcing him to drop the shield. Ixion then tried to punch A, but A dodged it ran up the arm. Ixion tried using his injured left arm to grab A, but A jumped on it and kept going. Ixion then used his blade to swat A off, but A held onto the tip of the blade and let go so he could be in the air. He summoned Savior back into his hand.

A recovered and dove down, blade aiming for Ixion's head. Ixion saw him and tried to slash him, but A vanished. Ixion the felt something slashing his throat and saw A with his blade still in his throat.

A then said

"Done!"

A then pulled the blade out of Ixion's throat and Ixion began to fall. A jumped on Ixion's shoulder and then hopped onto Ixion's back. Ixion fell with a massive thud and began to disintegrate. A hopped off and then saw Ixion become a Titan Seal in the shape of a head of a roaring lion, gold in color. A quickly grabbed the Titan Seal and looked at it like a prize.

The energy shield that prevented the team from reaching them then disappeared and Rick walked up to A and said

"Well I be damned! You did it!"

A transformed back to normal and said

"It was tough as hell, though."

"I didn't know that you had another form, but I'm not about to ask."

A then tossed Ixion's Titan Seal to Rick

"Here, one more Titan."

Rick smirked and tossed it back, telling him

"You beat him. You're his master now."

They were interrupted by the ground shaking and the walls collapsing. A looked at Rick and shouted

"We have to get out of here and fast!"

Rick nodded and summoned Avion. A walked forward and somehow dropped Ixion's seal. It shattered and Ixion reappeared, but this time in the shape of a war horse with a blade for a horn. A saw him and then understood the inscription in the temple: A lion, a knight, and a steed.

A hopped onto Ixion and took off after Rick and the other on Avion. They soon made it back to the temple and Rick quickly grabbed Alara while A grabbed Green. After a short run they made it out of the temple, just as the entrance collapsed.

They all took a sigh of relieve and Jean said

"This job is crazy."

Green noticed that A was human again and that he had Ixion and said

"You're back to normal, and I see that you got the Titan." A smiled and said

"Yeah, it feels awesome to have one. Also, it feels so good to be human again." He suddenly transformed back into a Gallade and shouted

"Damn it all!"

Everyone began to laugh and continued on their trek back home.

**Back in the twenty-second den…**

A and Green arrived back home, and A asked Green to prepare for the service, since she insisted on attending. However, he had to repeat it for her benefit, which was irritating to them both.

While she went to change, A searched for Rose, and when he found her, he ran to her, saying

"Hey Rose, you'll never believe what happened!" She turned and balked at the oncoming stranger, and A stopped and held up his hands, saying

"No wait, it's not what you think." Before he had a chance to explain, though, Loran teleported in front of him and raised his blades to his throat, saying

"What sort of honor less Gallade are you to try and hit on my mate, huh? Answer me!" A's eyes darkened and he barked harshly

"Loran, stand down!" Both he and Rose stepped back in shock, and Rose asked incredulously

"Alpha? Is that you?" A nodded, telling them

"Yeah, I'll explain things later, but I need to speak with you tomorrow" he pointed at Loran as he relayed the last part. Loran paled momentarily and said

"Alpha, I'm sorry, I didn't know-" A cut him off and said

"That doesn't matter. We'll discuss this tomorrow. For now, you two have a service to attend, one that I'm leading. By now, you've probably already heard what happened from Woof." Both Rose and Loran nodded somberly, and Rose began to shed tears, while Loran said

"At least the pup was saved." A nodded and said

"But it would have been better if both lives could have been preserved." For a moment, they stood there, then A said

"We should go now." Rose nodded and teleported them to the back of A's mansion, where the service was to be held and where Lucy would be buried, at the edge of the woods. The morticians had provided a casket for her, and A had been going over the technique with Savior, though evidently nothing had really changed, besides not having to draw the sword manually anymore. Everyone was gathered for the service and to pay their last respects.

A walked to the front, and everyone began muttering about this newcomer. Had their master caught another Gallade, perhaps to replace Loran? What had he done to upset him? Little did they know what was in store for them.

"Hello, everyone. As you might have noticed, I am the one who came back with Green. Now, you might be wondering who I am; let me just say that because Lucy has passed, I have lost the protection she offered me. As a result, I have been cursed by a Ninetails to live as a pokemon for the next hundred years. I'm going to try and figure out a solution, but for the time being, I'm stuck as this Gallade." After a moment, he sighed.

"Anyway, let's move this along. Woof, if you would join me." After a moment's hesitation, the Arcanine moved up and sat next to the silver Gallade. A bent down and rubbed Woof's neck, which was a familiar gesture to him. Woof looked up in shock, and A smiled down at him. Then he turned sober and addressed the crowd in front of him.

"Today we celebrate the life of Lucy, the Ninetails I adopted as a Vulpix in Verdanturf Town, located in the Hoenn region. For the time I resided in Hoenn, along with Rose, we traveled along, beating back Teams Aqua and Magma. I evolved her about a year after she met Woof and they struck up a good friendship. In time, they grew closer. I'll let Woof finish off." A stepped back and Woof stood. He swallowed past the lump in his throat, then spoke, shakily but loudly.

"She was at first a dear friend to me. After I evolved, we grew closer than I thought possible. With Alpha's help, she evolved. Then we became mates, and for the next seventy-five years, we loved each other deeply. Once Umbra… felt he had to leave, Lucy and I decided to make sure our lineage would never be forgotten. She consented to have my pup, but the strain was too much for her. She will be survived by our pup, who I have decided to name in honor of my father, Leo." He approached the casket, which was closed, and nuzzled against it. He said as the tears poured through his facial fur

"Goodbye, Lucy. I love you, whether you are with me or not. I promise I won't let you down." A was deeply touched by this sentiment and wound up wiping more than one tear from his eye. Everyone stepped up and paid their last respects. At the end of it all, A was the last one to go. He stepped up and placed a hand against the casket, then said softly

"Farewell, Lucy. I promise that your child will not come under any harm while in my care." With these final words, A drew forth his right arm blade. Then he called upon Savior's power and summoned Earth. Once the essence had covered the entirety of his arm, he motioned at the ground in front of him, creating a large hole. Then he called upon his psychic powers and moved the casket into the hole. Then he replaced the earth over it, and finally erected a tombstone. He concentrated on his power, forming the words

"Here lies Lucy.

A true friend and beloved of Woof, mother of Leo.

Rest In Peace."

After that, everyone went their separate ways, with A offering his last condolences to Woof. Then he wrapped an arm around Green's shoulders and closed the door behind him after taking one last look at the burial site.

**Man, my chapters are getting longer and longer, aren't they? Should I shorten them? Well, I'll let you decide. In the meantime, review, and don't forget that I've put up a poll, which closes April tenth. So send in your votes soon!**


	39. Ch 39: Getting Accustomed

**What's up, everybody, EmDrago here with another chapter for ya! Now then, people have been of the general opinion that longer chapters are better. That gives me some relief, because I am getting the hang of drawing out my chapters. At any rate, this is just another filler, but it should be interesting all the same.**

Green woke up and stretched her body, feeling remarkably relaxed, though she still felt a tinge of sadness. Her close friend A had lost one of his pokemon, and by his account she wasn't the first. Green knew in part how that felt, but she had never been personally transformed into a pokemon as a result of the death of one of her pokemon.

She rose and dressed, thinking about him. Ever since she woke up on the beach to A's aquamarine eyes, she had been entranced by him; his looks, his personality, and though it was not very prominent, his charm. He also had a veritable amount of wisdom due to his vast travels, and after a time, Green had to admit that she liked him.

But she was afraid of how he might react. Though the fishiness of the situation could not be denied, as the time had passed she found she had a lessening interest in the purpose behind Rick's request for her resurrection, as well as Arceus' willingness to comply. It was still an important matter, but as her days with A, or Michael as she sometimes referred to him, grew, so too did her admiration and liking for him.

She sighed before she left her room, hoping she could beat him to the kitchen. After yesterday, there was no denying that he needed a good meal to start off his day. However, when she reached the kitchen, he was already there, in his Gallade form, sitting in front of an empty bowl that look recently used. He was twirling the spoon on the table with his eyes looking down into his lap. Upon hearing Green enter the room, he looked up and asked

"Gallade, Gallade gal?" Green frowned, then turned on her translator and asked

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" A sighed and repeated

"I said how are you this morning?" Green frowned at him again and took a seat, then softly said

"I should be asking that about you. How are you holding up?" A sighed and told her

"Well, I couldn't get any sleep last night because my chest spike kept catching onto the sheets. But personal abnormalities aside, I have a hard time believing that Lucy is only recently gone. I was told by numerous sources that Ninetails have a tendency to live for hundreds of years. But nobody warned me about the complications they can experience as they age." Green leaned forward and patted his three-fingered hand, saying

"Well, at least you were able to have some good times together, right?" A nodded, then set his dishes in the sink. Then he looked at her and asked

"What plans do you have for today?" Green thought and answered

"Not really anything for today. Why?" A hesitated, then told her

"Well, I want you to continue your training with your sword. You're definitely getting good, and I would love to continue your training, but I have to set aside some other business first."

"Like what?" A took a deep breath and said

"I'm going to visit a doctor and make sure my new body is functioning properly. If I'm going to be stuck in it for the next hundred years, I have to be certain nothing's wrong with it." Green nodded her understanding, then asked

"Then?"

"I need Loran to train me to be able to use my powers to my full extent, and I have a conversation to carry out with Savior." Green frowned in confusion and asked

"But Savior isn't here. Why did you leave him behind anyway?" A chuckled humorlessly and told her

"Actually, Savior is a part of me now, or so he says. Given that I was able to utilize his power yesterday, I have no grounds to refute it. But I still need some answers." Green nodded and asked

"So what do you want me to do in training?" A thought it over, then told her

"Go over your balance and defense. You're doing fine in offense, but you leave yourself open a lot more than you should. Further, your balance is instrumental in almost anything you do. The better you hone it, the better off you'll be." Green nodded and asked

"When are you going to leave?" A looked up at the clock, then said

"I might as well get going now. The sooner I get this out of the way, the sooner I can relax." He left the mansion, taking a moment to look at Lucy's grave. Then he began to walk toward the hospital. When he arrived, the Gardevoir at the desk paused in her typing and said

"Whoa." A grinned for a moment, then told her

"I need to see a doctor today. Can you help me?" The Gardevoir paused in general, then asked

"What's wrong?" A grinned again, then transformed into a human, then allowed himself to be transformed back. The Gardevoir's eyes were wide, making A laugh. Then he turned serious and said

"It's a long story, but the short version is I'm a human who has been cursed. I was given my human form back, but it failed to fully break the curse. As a result, I want to make sure my new body is in proper working order. So again, can I see a doctor today?" The secretary nodded numbly, then called over the intercom

"Doctor Shane, please report to the front desk, Doctor Shane to the front desk."

She hung up the phone, then said

"He'll be here in a moment." A nodded and left her to continue her work, but for the most part she was fixated on his beyond unique coloring. A himself had been staring at his reflection in the mirror for most of the night, not quite sure how he was supposed to react. After he got over his complete and utter shock (which took the better part of five hours of uninterrupted staring), he started admiring the coloration his pokemon form took. He had also been experimenting with his arm blades, trying to be careful not to break anything. When morning was close to approaching, he went to the kitchen and simply fixed himself a bowl of cereal.

The doctor walked in, the one who had been watching over his maternalized pokemon. A stood, which made the doctor pause and say

"Whoa." A chuckled and said

"You're the second one today to do that. Anyway, I need a basic physical." Doctor Shane frowned and asked

"And who are you?" A transformed back and forth once, which also took him by surprise. A didn't laugh this time, though. Instead he asked

"So, can you help me?" The doctor simply nodded numbly and motioned for A to follow him. He led A into an examination room and asked him to wait. A took a seat on the bed and concentrated inwardly.

"_Hey Savior, you there?" _he asked. While he had a bit of time, he wanted to get the initial points out of the way so they could move on to more pertinent matters later.

"_Yes. What do you need?"_

"_Okay, first off, I'm getting a check-up for hiccups, so to speak. I want to make sure this new body isn't going to break down on me when I need it most. Is there anything I should be aware of before the doctor starts that he might need to know?" _Savior's response took a while, but finally he replied

"_If they do a basic blood draw, they might be surprised to see power of different types flowing through you." _A lifted an eyebrow and asked

"_When did that happen?"_

"_When I accepted you as my wielder. I imparted the power the sword holds onto your soul. That is one of the reasons why no other may wield me while I recognize a master. My power belongs to you, in all technicality, but the difference between you and I and most other powered sword-wielders is that the power flows smoothly between us both, which makes us a whole entity in the realm of the relationship between sword and master."_

"_But you can choose to close your power to me, can't you?"_

"_But in order to do so I must sever our connection. And believe me when I say that unless I have a very good reason for doing so, it will not happen. It is simply too exhausting." _A was perplexed, but he decided it wasn't of paramount importance. He moved on to his next question.

"_How were you able to read those runes back at the temple where we found Ixion?"_

"_Remember when I said Arceus placed my chosen soul in the sword that you now wield?"_

"_Yeah…"_

"_Before that, I was an ancient linguist. I understood the runes because they were my native language." _A raised his arms and made a T-shape with them, then said

"_Whoa, whoa, time out here. Just how old are you?"_

"_I would estimate somewhere around three thousand five hundred years."_

"_And in all that time, you were unable to find a suitable wielder?"_

"_As I said, they were all corrupt in many ways. You were far less so, and what parts of you that _were_ corrupted were not of your own doing or choice. As such, you were fully innocent in my… I can't really say eyes, can I?"_

A laughed loudly, which caught the attention of the doctor as he walked back in, followed by a nurse who carried a tray of needles and various fluids. The doctor raised an eyebrow and asked

"What's so funny?" A waved his hand and said

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Just rest assured it won't harm you in any way." The doctor hesitated, then shrugged.

"Alright, whatever. Anyway, we'll give you a preliminary exam, then make sure you have the shots you need." A raised an eyebrow and asked

"Are there certain diseases that Gallade are subject to?" The doctor pulled up his hand, then tilted it back and forth, saying

"Kinda. There are diseases that affect Gallade alone, and there are others which affect both Gallade and Gardevoir."

"Such as?"

"Well, we have one that at first seems like a typical virus, a cold or a flu, if you will. If it isn't treated, however, it attaches itself to the base of the emotion sensing spike on their chests and grows into a sort of fungus. In its early stages, it can be treated. Beyond that, however, the spike must be amputated at risk of the victim's life." A shuddered and asked

"What else is there?" The doctor began to put on sterilized gloves as he answered

"Well, a prime example of a disease that only affects Gallades is something commonly referred to as the Bane of the Swords." A frowned and asked

"Why?"

"It's an infection that usually comes from a Gallade withdrawing their arm blades without having them cleaned off properly, especially if they were used for a purpose that exposes them to severe contamination. It can usually be felt early as persistent burning in the arms, especially toward the elbow. However, many Gallades are too prideful to address the problem, mainly by denying the problem in the first place."

"So what happens as the problem persists?"

"At first it's a burning sensation, then becomes dulled, numb. The blades get discolored, and in the final stage, they simply fall off. And since the blades will never grow back, the Gallade loses their primary weapon." A sat there, interested now in the realms of pokemon medicine. His attention was diverted as Doctor Shane placed a stethoscope against his chest, next to his spike, and said

"Breathe in deeply, then out slowly."

For the next hour, A went through a basic physical examination for Gallade. Parts of it he was already familiar with, such as breathing, reflexes, pupil dilation, etc. Other pieces, though, were exclusive to his current species, such as blade extension, spike sensitivity, and psychic intensity. Once that was all done, Doctor Shane pulled the tray of needles to him and said

"Now for the part that no one likes." A chuckled and said

"You do what you have to." Three injections later, Doctor Shane pulled off his gloves and declared

"You're done! I didn't find any external problems with you, but I suggest you come back in six months for another check-up, and if you start feeling anything you think you shouldn't be, do not, I repeat, do NOT hesitate to come back." A nodded and touched down on the floor, holding out his hand and saying

"Thanks for your time, Doc." The doctor smirked and took his outstretched hand, then frowned for a moment and said

"By the way, about your Ninetails… I'm sorry we couldn't do more for her. I wanted to save her, believe me I did… but we couldn't do anything." A nodded somberly and said

"Thank you, for trying and for saving the pup. It means a lot to me." The doctor nodded and sighed, then said

"If anything else happens, I'll make sure you get informed." A nodded, then exited the hospital. He went back to the mansion, meeting up with Green who was practicing her swordsmanship. When he approached, she paused and looked at him, then quickly retrieved her translator, turned it on, then asked

"How did it go? Does everything check out?" A nodded and told her

"I got a basic check-up, some immunizations, and he let me go. I'm going back in in six months to make sure everything checks out again. After that, it should be a relative cake-walk." Green nodded, and then she asked

"And what about your high stress levels? What did he say about that?" A frowned and asked

"What are you talking about? I don't have high stress levels." Green rolled her eyes and said

"Boy, _that's _the understatement of the century. I bet if I were to poke some major muscle, it would be drawn tighter than a coil wire. You need to learn how to cut back, and training constantly is not cutting back." A continued to frown and retorted

"Says you. I find it to be very relaxing, it keeps me sharp and in shape-"

"All it's doing is causing you more stress! Don't you understand you're going to kill yourself if you keep up like this?" This last piece she said beseechingly. A paused, then said gently

"I understand your concern, but I have never been able to relax. The second I do, something else happens, and then it requires twice as much effort to take care of it. If I stay on high alert, I can always take care of a problem when it arrives." Green sighed, then walked up to him, saying softly

"But surely you know there are people who care for you, and they all probably don't like seeing you like this. Don't you care about what they think, or how they feel?" A spoke emphatically.

"Of course I do, but I can't rest easy unless I know there aren't any risks to be taken by relaxing. And I just don't have the confidence to take that chance." Green stepped up to him and was about to respond, but she laid a hand against his chest, her hand brushing up against his chest spike.

In an instant, all the emotions she was experiencing at the moment were his to look at. There was her concern for him, the elation she felt at seeing some of his pokemon, but the one thing that surprised him above all else was her attraction to him. He gasped loudly when she made contact, and she instantly pulled back, asking hurriedly

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" A panted for a minute in shock, his hand pressing up against where she laid hers. Then he shook his head and told her

"No… you didn't hurt me… but you managed to make contact with my emotion sensing spike." Green frowned and asked

"What does that mean?"

"It means that when you made direct contact with it, I saw and felt all the emotions you were experiencing at the time." Green stiffened noticeably, then asked

"What did you feel?" A hesitated, then replied

"Just your concern for me. I guess I underestimated the strength of your worry." Green crossed her arms and asked

"So what are you going to do to mitigate or eliminate it?" A hesitated, then sighed and said

"Well, I guess I'll try relaxing. Maybe it would work." Green nodded, then approached him again and pressed her hand against his arm. She squeezed experimentally, then stepped back and told him diplomatically

"The first thing you're going to do is go to a masseuse. That will relieve at least half of your tension." A frowned and said

"Alright, but tomorrow, right now I have to-"

"Oh no, you don't. You're not going tomorrow, or the next day, or next week. You're going _today_, do you understand me?" A's expression darkened and he asked mutinously

"And what if I disagree?" Green smirked and told him smugly

"I've already had a talk to quite a few of your pokemon, and they all agree with me that you need to cut loose once in a while, and there's no better time to start than today." A growled his frustration and said

"I'm telling you, I don't need a masseuse. I'm fine the way I am." Green scowled and pointed her sword at him, saying

"Don't make me get Rose out here. She was one of the pokemon who argued strongest for you to relax for a while. She said out of anybody in the world, you're the one who needs a break most. Come on, even Arceus took a day off." A smirked now and conceded grudgingly, saying

"Fine, you win. You know a place?" Green smirked and sheathed her sword, then responded

"Actually, when Gloria gave me that tour, she showed me a wonderful place in the thirteenth den. They're not that expensive either." A grunted and moved over to her, placed a hand to her shoulder, then teleported them back to the mansion. Green put her sword away, then they went to the elevator and pushed the button for the thirteenth den. When they arrived, Green led A throughout the city, which was far more bustling than the top den or his own den.

Finally Green stopped in front of a building that labeled it as the business of massaging folks. A felt slight trepidations, having never done anything like this before. They walked inside, and everybody gawked at the presence of a human and a silver Gallade, which had never been seen before. Green walked confidently up to the counter and said

"Hi, my friend here needs to relax a bit. How much for the full works?" The secretary, yet another Gardevoir, looked at the strange pair, seemingly more perplexed by the silver Gallade as opposed to the human. Then she snapped back to her job, but only after Green snapped her fingers a couple of times.

"What?! Oh, sorry, um… the full package is 1500 poke." A scowled and tapped Green on her shoulder, and when he had her attention he asked

"Do I have to do this? It seems ridiculous to have to pay 1500 for someone to rub my body. Come to think of it, that's actually kind of disturbing. I'm not sure I-" Green cut him off by covering his mouth with her hand, glaring at him and saying threateningly

"Don't. Start. I will not hesitate to convince your pokemon to rise up against you." A narrowed his eyes and took her hand off his mouth, saying

"My pokemon are loyal and would never turn on me." Green smirked and responded smugly

"They're not turning on you; they're helping you help them. Or at least that's how I put it. Now pay up and take it like a man." A scowled but conceded by handing over his banking device. The Gardevoir swiped it through, it approved, and she handed it back, saying

"Go in the back and look for Charlotte." A thanked her and did so, followed by Green's glare the whole time. When he got into the back, he found a sort of hall that had curtained doors. He approached the first one and read a plaque with a name, specifically Diane. He kept moving down until he found the plaque that read Charlotte. When he walked inside, he found a purple Gardevoir waiting for her next customer. She eyed him and remarked

"Never seen a silver Gallade before." A crossed his arms and retorted

"Never seen a purple Gardevoir before. But you don't see me gawking at you." Charlotte chuckled and replied

"Touché. Now then, why don't we get down to business?" She patted the table which had a convenient hole around the chest area. A was wary, but he conceded. He walked over and lay face-down on the table. Charlotte walked up next to him and said

"Now, I just want you to relax, and I'll take care of the rest." A was very wary now, but he tried his best. Relaxation was not a natural thing to him, but since Green was actually rather threatening lately, he decided to humor her. Soon enough, Charlotte started digging into his back. The purple Gardevoir frowned and said

"My Arceus, how long have you been doing this to yourself?!" A frowned and asked

"What?"

"Allowing your stress to build up like this! How are you even capable of moving with your muscles like this?!" A shrugged and replied

"Guess I'm just used to it." Charlotte stopped and asked incredulously

"When was the last time you got a massage? By anyone?"

"This is actually my first one." Charlotte threw her hands in the air and practically shouted

"Oh my Arceus! I've got my work cut out for me now!" A smiled and told her

"Nothing wrong with a little hard work, you know." Charlotte glared at him; he could practically feel it.

"Yeah, and I bet it was a lifetime of hard work that put you in this state." A smirked and replied sarcastically

"Wow, you didn't even have to read my mind to figure that out, did you?" Charlotte growled in irritation, then started attacking his back, digging into the muscle, which made A shout out in pain. Charlotte smirked and said

"It's your own fault, you know. Anyway, once I get these loosened up to a manageable level, I'll go easier. But this is simply unworkable." A grunted and let her carry on. After about ten minutes, she became less aggressive. Now she was actually beginning the massage. At first A was utterly taken by surprise, but soon he sunk into it. She worked over his back and legs in a way he never thought possible. When, however, she reached his arms, she asked hesitantly

"You said this was your first massage, right?" A nodded, and Charlotte told him

"Okay, then I'm going to ask you to try and restrain yourself. I'll understand if you can't, but please make a conscious effort." A frowned and asked

"What are you talking about?" Charlotte smirked and took hold of his arm, positioning the elbow away from her. Then she began to knead it, and A gasped as the blade shot straight from his elbow. He groaned and retracted it, apologizing. Charlotte scoffed and said

"It happens to all first timers. The first time around, I nearly lost an eye. After that, I put the pattern together, and there are actually specific pressure points that will force a Gallade to extend their blades. It's really quite interesting, if you're into that sort of thing." A's interest piqued, and he asked

"Well, not anything that specific, or narrowed, I should say, but I'm always intrigued to learn something new. Tell me, what other information about weak points do you know?" Charlotte was surprised, then asked suspiciously

"Why would you ask that?" A chuckled, then said

"Let's just say that battling is my specialty, so any information about weak points is very useful to me." Charlotte scoffed and said

"Sorry, but I don't consider that a weak point. It's just an interesting tidbit, one I only learned due to my line of work." A sighed and said

"Fine, whatever. Just keep doing what you're doing." Charlotte smirked and continued her work, and once she was finished with his arms, she gave him a basic once over to make sure she had gotten everything. Once she was satisfied, she stepped back and wiped her brow, telling A

"Okay, you're finished. And to think it took me three hours. Good thing you paid for a full package, or else you'd be in serious trouble." A grunted and pushed himself up, feeling much lighter than he had in a long time. As soon as he put his weight on his feet, however, he fell right to the floor. He landed in a broken heap, making Charlotte laugh. Not amused, A asked harshly

"What'd you do to me?" Charlotte finished laughing and told him

"I relaxed all of your muscles. Considering what you've done to them, it's not surprising you can't stand up on your own two feet right now. This happens a lot, actually. Should I bring your friend in here?" A growled in frustration, then attempted to get back up, only to wind up face down in the carpet. Finally he gave up, and in a muffled voice he conceded

"Fine, my companion is a human by the name of Green." Charlotte chuckled and left the room. While she went to retrieve Green, A tried unsuccessfully to get back on his feet. Unfortunately, his last attempt had him trip completely over the massage table, sending him head over heels, crashing into the floor and against the wall. Charlotte and Green ran into the room, Charlotte asking

"What's going on here?!" They found A on the other side of the table, upside down on his back, his legs sticking up before draping down towards his head. He grinned awkwardly at his position and said

"See what happens when you try and get me to relax?" Green shook her head and replied

"I can only guess you did this to yourself." A chuckled and said

"Well, Charlotte did quite a number on me, and you forced me to come here in the first place. Ergo, you did this to me." Green placed her hands on her hips and said sternly

"Oh no, you're not pinning this on me. If you hadn't placed so much stress on yourself in the first place, you wouldn't be in that tangled mess right now." A scoffed and turned his head away, saying

"So, you gonna help me up or just stand there?" Green laughed and replied

"I might just stand here and watch you squirm." A narrowed his eyes and threatened

"Don't forget, I'm the one training you." Green rolled her eyes and went to help him up. As it turned out, A's muscles were so relaxed due to Charlotte's administrations, Green had to fully support him. A growled his frustration the entire time they walked back to the elevator, and from there the mansion, until Green had enough and told him

"Oh, give it a rest already! You're not dead, so quit acting like I'm trying to kill you!" A growled a bit louder this time and replied

"What if an enemy attacks? I won't be able to defend anyone! I'm useless like this!" Green rolled her eyes impatiently and said

"Oh, nobody's going to attack us. You need to stop being so paranoid." A rolled his eyes and retorted

"Ha! If I hadn't been so paranoid, I would have succumbed to every blasted lie those villains spread! It was because of my inability to trust others that I was able to perceive the entire threat each of them presented." Green looked up at him in concern now and asked

"You don't trust anyone? At all?" A hesitated, then responded

"Well, I trust my pokemon, of course. They've been with me ever since I found them, saved them in many cases. It's mostly humans I'm wary of." He could feel a distinct sadness emanating from Green, and she lightly said

"Oh, I see." A tried to amend himself hastily.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on there! That doesn't mean I don't trust you!" Green looked up at him again, frustrated weariness in her gaze. She asked him

"So what do you mean? You don't trust humans; I'm a human, but you trust me. You're nothing but an enigma, Michael, one you won't help me figure out. Is it because you don't trust me enough?" A frowned, then sighed heavily and hung his head, telling her softly

"I know I'm an enigma. I'm sorry. But in truth, the reason I'm not helping you figure me out is because I don't know myself either." Green looked at him askance, mouth hung open, and asked softly but incredulously

"What?" A looked up into the false sky that hovered over his den, then sighed again and told her

"You have to understand, for the better part of my childhood, I was fighting one criminal syndicate after another, and each one had their own ideas and values that blew everything I believed in in the face. I fought back because I believed that by doing so I was protecting the world from utter annihilation." Green's face lit up and she responded enthusiastically

"And you did! If it hadn't been for you, the world we know and love would be vastly different, and probably not in a way we would like. Besides, by doing so, you hold the title for the unofficial spot of World Champion. That's something you don't usually hear." A smiled lightly, but it quickly faded and he said

"While that might be true, and it has its rewards, the fact remains that I was damaged emotionally and mentally by these frequent attacks on the well-being of the world and its inhabitants. I never got the time for self-introspection, relaxation, relationships... anything, really." Green's eyes were moist, and they both quickly looked away from each other.

Soon they reached the mansion, and Green deposited A in his room, telling him

"Try and get some sleep. Since you didn't rest all night, you should make up for it." A just nodded absently, and after Green left, he lifted his head up and looked out his window. He watched some of his pokemon fly past, and after a minute, his head fell back to the pillow, and before his eyes shut, he asked only one thing;

_"Just who exactly am I?"_

**Okay, that wraps up this chapter. Remember, the polls are still up, so if you haven't voted yet, please get those in. A quick side note, though; if the selection "Any of Umbra's children" wins out, I will go with that alone and randomly pick two candidates. Otherwise, the two with the highest votes will be delved into. **


	40. Ch 40: Grim News

**Wazzup everybody? I'm here with another exciting chapter for ADWAG, and instead of wasting your time here, let's move on to the real story!**

A woke up, feeling remarkably relaxed, though still a little numb. He stretched himself out on the bed, feeling warmth seep back into his limbs. Then he ventured out of the bed, finding his motor control was vastly improved compared to yesterday, though some of his digits were still numb right now. He shook the feeling off and cautiously walked. Once he was able to set his rhythm, he picked up the pace, and soon enough he felt normal, though much less tense now.

He entered the kitchen, where Green was laying out a large breakfast (vegan style) and said

"Oh good, you're awake. I was about to come and get you. How do you feel today?" A rolled his head and replied

"Pretty good, actually. That masseuse did better than I thought, though I don't want to have a repeat of that. Anyway, what's the rush?" Green sat down with A and began to serve herself, and she told him

"We have a summons from Rick. Apparently we're expected in Hoenn for some kind of business meeting, but beyond that I don't know." A nodded and said

"Alright, then let's dig in." Within half an hour, they were both finished with breakfast and hurried with the cleaning. Then A held her close and teleported to the top floor of the Sanctuary. They were directed to the Mercury, where A teleported them to next.

On their way, Rick and some of the guys were relaxing with some video games, and A began to stretch himself out, hoping to make a full recovery from the massage that almost killed him. Rick noticed and asked

"A, what's wrong with you?" A replied

"I'm recovering from loss of motor control that I suffered yesterday at the hands of a masseuse." Rick chuckled and asked

"Wow! How tense were you?" A rolled his eyes and responded

"Apparently, very. I still believe that I don't have complete function in a few of my toes, but I should be over it." Rick patted him on the back and said

"So how do you feel? You know, being a pokemon and all." A shrugged and said

"I'm getting used to it. I'm still a little shaky with the psychic powers." Rick shrugged.

"It gets easier with practice. That's why we have our children practice from a very young age. Ever since they turn two, we teach them how to use minor telekinesis. Just as long as they can speak and understand what we're saying. However, as psychic types, they learn how to talk faster than most other beings. So now that you're an adult, you should learn faster than the Ralts and Kirlias in our society."

A laughed and said

"I hope so. I don't want Maiyu to be ahead of me." Rick laughed with him and told him

"Don't worry, she's still learning. The furthest she can go right now is mastering Confusion."

"She's pretty good at it, though. Soon she'll find the resolve to learn Psychic."

Rick smiled and replied

"Yeah I know. She knows a lot of moves for her age. She even learned Zen Headbutt and Magic Coat. Which is weird because I never taught her those moves. I taught her Shadow Sneak, Signal Beam, and Double Team." A frowned and asked

"What about Shadow Ball? I've seen almost everyone in your species use it at least once."

"Well that's a move we usually learn from our parents or in school. I learned it from my parents, same way I learned Signal Beam." A nodded and asked

"How can I learn Signal Beam and Shadow Ball now?"

Rick thought for a second before answering.

"Someone has to teach it to you or you just pick it up by seeing it. However, let me test your psychic prowess." Rick looked around the room and saw a book.

"Can you bring that book over here from across the room?"

A concentrated his power onto the book and soon the book levitated off the desk. A now concentrated to bring it to him. Suddenly the book went flying towards them and Rick tackled A to the ground to make him dodge the high speed projectile. A got up and looked at the damage the book made and he said

"I think I gave it too much juice." Rick got up and said

"Yeah, you did. You'll learn how to control that. Also, you'll learn how to do that without concentrating so much or at all. It'll be like a second nature to you." A nodded and said

"I hope so. I really want to master this."

"There's a difference between being prolific at it and being a master at it. Being a master means that you can use it on almost anything. Which is pretty pointless for you since your sword already does that for you."

A smirked and responded

"Well at least that eliminates one criteria." Rick nodded and replied

"Yeah, well I'll be seeing you. Alara wants me to see her on the deck."

"Alright, have fun. I have to go see Green soon anyways she went somewhere with the girls."

"Okay, bye!"

A went to find the girls and soon discovered them talking about whatever girls talked about. Unconcerned, A sat back after watching her for a moment, then began to sort through what he had recently learned. If his experience was accountable, Green actually liked him! However, she seemed nervous when the implication was he found out. A further issue was that they were from a different time era, a good hundred years back in their proper time. As such, romantic customs, courtships, and rituals were different from what he was sure was exhibited now, as each new generation generally came up with new ways to express infatuation.

In time Green separated from the group and walked over to A. They set about walking through the ship, and on an impulse A walked to the bridge. Upon arriving, the pilot, Screech, asked him

"Hey, can you let Rick know we'll be in Hoenn in about three hours? I tried to contact him, but he's not answering." A nodded and said

"Sure, I'll let him know." He and Green walked together toward the deck of the ship, and when A came out he started to say

"Rick, Screech said that we'll be in the Hoenn region in about three ho...urs." He stopped when he saw them sleeping and said to Green with a smile

"Let's leave them alone. We don't want to wake them up." With that they left and left Rick, Alara, and Avion to sleep.

[Three Hours Later]

Rick and his team arrived in the Hoenn region. Rick sent the Mercury back to the Sanctuary and the team got onto Avion to fly to the appointed location that Mr. Silph gave them. They soon arrived in Route 121 and got off of Avion, who transformed back into his Titan Seal.

Jean asked Rick, "Is this the right place?"

Rick looked at the directions that Mr. Silph sent him.

"Yeah, it's in this route. So I guess we just have to go west from here until we find the place."

"Any idea what this place looks like?"

Rick shrugged his shoulders and flatly replied

"Not a clue."

"Then what the hell dude!?"

While they argued, A looked around and reminisced a little. The Weather Institute wasn't far away from here, where he had taken on Team Aqua, who was trying to loot it and steal the rare pokemon that A, then Brendan, had received for beating them back. That was his Castform, who he named Ralph. Rick caught his attention again by sighing and saying

"Let's go. I already know what's going to happen."

No one asked Rick what he meant, instead they just followed him through the forest. After another ten minutes of walking in one direction, they finally arrived at what looked like a large cabin in the woods. The team saw Mr. Silph's men on the patio. They saluted Rick and opened the doors for the team.

The team walked in and were directed to a room in the back of the cabin. A guard opened the door to reveal Mr. Silph sitting at a desk. Rick shook his head and asked Mr. Silph

"Sir, do you remember why it's so dangerous for you to leave your secure location?" Mr. Silph took a puff from his cigar and said

"You can't protect me forever boy. Also, I prefer coming out of that building every once and a while. Anyways, it's good to see you again and to see your team with my own eyes. Alara dear, you've let your hair grow a bit longer."

Alara chuckled and replied

"Yeah. Trying to get myself ready for the wedding. So I let my hair grow longer than usual. Mainly so I can make it look so pretty when it comes time to get married."

Mr. Silph smiled and said

"Oh yes. I got the invitation. I can't wait. I want to be there and I have cleared my entire schedule for that week so I can attend the wedding."

Rick smirked and said

"Well I'll be more than happy to have you stay with us during your stay. I'm also so happy that you're attending sir."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world boy. I'm very proud of you. You're moving ahead with life."

A noticed something and asked Mr. Silph

"Sir, how can you understand us?" He nodded and addressed him directly.

"A very good question. You see, as the head of Silph Co. I was given a translator." He then looked at Green and said

"The same type that you have on at the moment." Rick then asked

"Sir, with all due respect, what is the reason you called us over here?" Mr. Silph clapped his hands together and said

"Oh yes, that's right. Well first off, don't get mad at me. The reason I called you and your friends over is because I wanted you and your friends to have a spa day for today."

"Oh great! Another vacation. Sir, I don't think I need to relax." Mr. Silph then chuckled and said

"Not by my diagnosis. Rick, just take the day. Treat your friends to some R&R. Some of them look as if they need it. Anyways, there's a spa here with a complete staff to attend to you." Rick sighed and looked at his team and nodded

"Alright sir. We'll take the day for resting." Neil laughed and said

"Looks like we have to let Rick have most of the relaxation." The team agreed and laugh. Mr. Silph then said

"Well on that note, I shall be leaving you all. I must return to my secure location and have a meeting with Stephen Stone. Take care everyone!" Everyone said their goodbyes to Mr. Silph and immediately split up and went throughout the spa. Green insisted on getting a massage, and A was understandably wary. Since his muscles weren't so tense this time around, however, he was fully able to enjoy the experience.

[Six Hours Later]

Rick and the team were all in the main room of the cabin, all talking and spending time together. Everyone seemed to be more relaxed and rejuvenated than before. They all spoke of their day, each one taking turns. Rick sat down on a chair and listened to all of them talk of their day.

Seras was speaking;

"Well, I took Jean through nearly everywhere in the spa. I even got him to get a manicure for his talons."

Jean followed up by saying

"And my talons have never looked so much better." Dartz then walked up to him and hit him with a steel chair

"That's payback you son of a bitch!" A sweatdropped, then asked Dartz

"Damn Dartz! What the hell did he do?"

"I was at the masseuse and then this idiot appears from out of nowhere, he stacked up the beds, then elbow-dropped me on the back!" Rick chuckled and said

"I agree with Dartz. He had it coming." Dartz then said

"Good! Thank you!" He then slammed the chair onto Jean again and sat back down. Neil walked up to Jean and helped him up, saying

"You guys really are some cold motherfuckers." Everyone laughed and soon began to socialize again. Alara soon asked Rick

"Rick, are you okay?" Rick nodded and replied

"Yeah, I just have to clear my head." Rick got up from his seat

"Well it's been nice and all, but I have to go take a walk. You know, to clear my head of all of this." Rick then gave Alara Avion's Titan Seal.

"Here Ally, take Avion." Instantly, A's attention was caught and the red bells, flags and sirens began going off. He snapped his head to Rick and said

"Say Rick, don't you think that you might want to be a bit more cautious? You should keep a guard with you. Or better yet, not go at all." Rick arched an eyebrow and asked

"Why would I need a guard?" A tried to reason with Rick.

"Team Rocket hasn't made any moves in a long time, but if they spot you alone, I'm pretty sure you'll come under fire." Rick scowled slightly and told him

"While I admire your concern and your opinion, I think I still want to take the walk alone. Mainly because I don't want to worry others. Sadly, you kinda did that just now. A, I just want to clear my head and walking alone is the only way I know how."

A growled in feigned frustration and threw his hands up, saying

"Alright, but I don't want anyone to call me paranoid if I'm right." He then walked out of the room muttering

"Now I need my own walk."

When he got outside, he assumed stealth mode and hid in a tree. He waited and watched as Rick stepped out. He walked around for quite a while before coming to rest at on a rock, then started to play his guitar. While the music was pleasant, A didn't let his guard down, keeping everything on high alert. Eventually Rick stopped playing and rose to return to the cabin. He had only been walking for a short time, however, when footsteps automatically became audible. A looked behind Rick, who had just turned around, and spotted a Zoroark with a sharp scythe. A stiffened and silently drew Savior, gearing up for the inevitable battle.

The Zoroark began to laugh and said

"It's been a while, Alpha." Epsilon cocked her head and looked at Rick, then said

"Well you've changed a bit. It's been what, six months since you last saw me?" Rick growled at her and asked

"What the hell are you doing here? Your last attempt got you a house arrest sentence for the last six months." She grinned and answered

"I'm actually here on Giovanni's orders." Rick rolled his eyes and said sarcastically

"Well how do you like that? The idiot finally made a good decision." Epsilon scoffed and said to Rick

"Sorry to ruin the moment, but I'm here to kill you." Rick scowled and asked

"All alone like this?" Epsilon grinned cockily and asked mockingly

"Who said I was alone?" Suddenly a disfigured Luxray and Houndoom with a glowing 'I' on his sternum appeared. Disgusted by the lack of honor, A charged and fired three energy balls designed for their specific weaknesses.

"Omicron...Iota." As he said that the three energy attacks came flying toward the Projects. Iota noticed them and got swung his hand upwards, knocking the attacks away. The attacks exploding in the horizon. Epsilon then asked Rick

"You have an ally with you?" Rick didn't answer, and Epsilon laughed and asked Rick

"So Alpha, where's your mate?" Rick glared at her and said

"Nowhere you can harm her anymore." Epsilon pointed her scythe at Rick and pointed out

"I can harm her by killing you." Rick scowled and asked

"Are you going to attack me or just taunt me all day?" Epsilon sighed and said in a bored voice

"Well you're no fun. But if you insist then alright."

Epsilon and Omicron then attacked Rick and Iota simply sat down on a rock, meditating. Rick quickly blocked Epsilon's attack and ducked under Omicron's attack. Rick then elbowed Omicron in the head and swung Shadowbane at Epsilon. Epsilon barely blocked the attack and jumped back. A quickly decided to get the Luxray, Omicron, out of the way while Rick handled Epsilon. He charged up a wind attack and waited for the opportune moment.

Rick lunged for Epsilon but was pulled back by Omicron who punched him to the ground and pressed his foot onto his chest. Rick tried to pry Omicron's foot off his chest, but to no avail. Omicron the lifted his axe to kill Rick. Rick stopped him by immobilizing him with Psychic and hitting him with a Signal Beam, making him get off of Rick. Rick jumped to his feet and kicked Omicron back. Suddenly, A's gust of wind picked up and Omicron went tumbling away. He kept at it until they were well away from the battle.

He got up and muttered

"So the little coward wants to fight in the shadows, does he?" Omicron then put one hand in the air and a shockwave of electricity rushed through the forest, taking out random pokemon. Omicron laughed and said

"You better show yourself or more pokemon will suffer." He then sent out another shockwave. A ran out and used his sword like a lightningrod, drawing all the power to him. He quickly dashed over and smacked Omicron across the face, then dashed back into hiding. Omicron rubbed the side of his face and chuckled.

"So that didn't work, did it?" Omicron then took out Specter Orbs and dropped them into the ground, summoning twenty Specters.

"Find any and all pokemon in the area and kill them!" The Specters bowed their heads and took off. A dashed out again and slashed his hands and the backs of his knees to prevent him from summoning anymore, then went on to eliminate the specters, pushing his limits on his speed.

_"Damn it,"_ he thought _"Rick's going to have to fend for himself for a while."_ Omicron grinned and said

"He fell for it." Omicron then shattered, revealing an afterimage. As A rushed to kill the Specters, Omicron appeared and clotheslined him. A got up quickly and Omicron said to him,

"So you're the one that's been attacking us from the shadows." He then shouted

"Kill them all, double time!" A growled and transformed, taking Omicron by surprise, which A used to slam him through some trees before throwing him out of the forest entirely, then working double time to counter the Specters. Omicron quickly got up and said to himself

"Well that was unexpected. Time to detonate the bombs now in those Specters in three...two...one." Omicron detonated the bombs and A went flying back toward Omicron. Omicron kicked him when he was down and said

"Well, that's where you ran off to. By the way, you sorta failed. Seven pokemon have already died." A growled and flipped over, transforming, drawing Savior, and slashing Omicron in the stomach, all in one fluid motion. As he stood wounded, A growled

"Then you'll have to pay for their blood." Omicron seemed unfazed and brought out his axe, saying

"Alright. You're messing with the wrong Project." Then, out of nowhere, an Arcanine came out and slammed into Omicron, sending him into the ground. The Arcanine went to A and helped him up, whereupon A asked

"Who are you?" He grinned and replied

"I'm Gamma, a friend of Rick's. I'll take care of Omicron; you should go and help Alpha, or as you know him, Rick. The battle's about to get gruesome." A nodded and disappeared, leaving the two Projects to duke it out. He appeared back in his hiding place just in time to see Iota Skewer Rick. A nearly panicked then, but as Iota pulled Rick's head back to deliver the final blow, A jumped out, revealing himself, and shouted

"Hey, try taking someone else on!" Iota looked at A and said

"My mission is to eliminate Alpha. You are not my target. Why waste time causing collateral damage?"

"Who's wasting time!?" A yelled as he slashed at Iota.

Iota didn't seem fazed and ducked under A's attack and kicked him, flipping him in the air. A jumped to his feet and tried again. Iota put his sword in his mouth and caught A's wrist. He then kicked A in the gut and kneed him in the face, making him bleed from his nose. Iota said to A as he staggered to his feet, wiping the blood from his face. Iota then said to him

"I don't think you understand who you are up against. I am Project Iota, the trainer of the Project, and for all intents and purposes, powerful Project. I am no Houndoom that you can find roaming around. I can overlap the power of even Omega. However, I have no wish to kill you. Leave now and you will live." A frowned and replied

"I'll leave when I have secured Rick." Iota shrugged and said

"Then you will die. It's as simple as that."

A growled at his opponent and lunged for him. He stopped when he came face to face with a charged beam that Iota charged on his fingertips. He fired it and sent A flying through the air, landing in a lake. He swam to the surface and burst out, gasping for breath and shouting in pain. He swam to the shore and discovered he had several broken ribs. Ignoring the pain, he disappeared and reappeared where Rick was now lying, mortally, possibly fatally, wounded. A Ninetails was near him, and thinking the worst, A drew Savior and pointed the sword at the giant vulpine, growling

"Trying to add insult to injury?" She then said

"You wouldn't harm a pregnant pokemon, would you? Also, I wouldn't harm him. I used to take care of him when he was little." A frowned and then put his sword away. He then picked Rick up and said

"If you want to help then please open a portal to a place south of Route 212." Delta nodded and said

"We know about the Sanctuary. Don't worry, we work for Silph Co. now." Gamma then appeared and told A

"Don't carry him like that. You're only making him bleed out faster." Gamma went over and took Rick from A and said

"We'll take him to the Sanctuary. You go tell his friends and mate about what happened. We'll be waiting."

Gamma and Delta then walked through a portal and A ran back to the cabin, dreading what he would have to tell Rick's team. Worse, what he would have to tell Alara. Soon he reached the door of the cabin and took a deep breath before going in. Once he walked in, all the eyes in the room were on him. Alara then asked

"A? Good to see that you're back, but where's Rick?" A sighed and asked back

"May I speak to you in private?" Alara was confused but decided to follow him into an adjacent room. Alara then asked him

"What's going on?" A said to her

"Please sit down." Alara did as A said and he then began.

"I'm sorry, but you should be the first one to know. Alara, Rick was attacked while on his walk. I was there. I followed him because I had my suspicions that something was going to happen and that he would be in danger. While he was on the walk, three Projects by the names of Epsilon, Omicron, and Iota attacked him. I tried to save him and so did two other individuals by the names of Delta and Gamma. Sadly, he was skewered by Iota. Gamma and Delta took him back to the Sanctuary, but it's safe to say that his situation is critical." Alara looked at him and began to cry.

"What? Are you sure?" A sighed and nodded slowly

"I wish I was wrong and that this was a bad dream. I can't be sure if he'll make it or not, but I sincerely hope that he does. Alara I'm really sorry. Now, I have to explain it to the team. However, do you have anything to ask me?" Instead of answering, Alara began to sob and yelled out

"Amber! Seras!" The two females suddenly walked into the room and Alara quickly began to cry on Seras' shoulder. Amber asked A

"What happened? Why is she crying?" A sighed again, not liking what he had to relay to them.

[The Sanctuary; 1st Den Hospital]

Rick entire team was in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting for the doctor to come out to explain how Rick's surgery went. Alara was an emotional wreck, crying on her mom's shoulder and the other girls trying to comfort her. Jean, Saifer, Daedalus, and A were pacing, anxious for some news. After a few minutes a doctor then appeared and walked to them. A sighed when he saw the doctor and asked her

"Doc, please tell me that everything is fine." The doctor, a Gardevoir, sighed and said

"Well I have some good news and bad news." Jean asked her

"What's the good news?

"The good news is that the blade missed his heart." A gave a sigh of relief

"Oh thank Arceus! What's the bad news though?"

"I have two sets of bad news. One, it his lungs filling them with blood. Two...this one isn't easy. He slipped into a coma." Once Alara heard that she began to cry harder, but this time on Green's shoulder. A ran his hands through his hair and asked

"Is he going to live?" The doctor shrugged and replied

"Comas are tricky things, it's hard to say. He has a 50-50 chance. You can go see him if you want. He might still be able to hear you guys if he's not completely gone."

A paused, then nodded. He looked at Alara, then waved Saifer over. They had a short conversation before Saifer went to Alara and told her to go see Rick, with her mother, Seras, and Amber at her side. A heard the commotion Alara made at the sight that surely was less than reassuring. A sighed heavily and sat down, closing his eyes and placing his head in his hands. He then felt a hand on his shoulder.

"What did we say boy? You can't change fate." A looked to his side and saw Ryu sitting next to him and the time in the room standing still. A scowled and turned away, replying

"I still don't buy that. If we had all come together, there would have been no way those Projects could have harmed him." He huffed out his irritation, which was quickly replaced with trepidation. He ran his hand through his hair again and asked

"What's goin to happen if he dies?"  
Ryu sighed and answered

"Hard to say. Most likely Rick will become a Knight as well if all my suspicions are correct. However, on the living side, Arceus might choose a new paladin and a new Warmaster for the Pokemon civilizations. Alara might still get legally married to him, and she will become queen regardless of what happens. But ruling alone is no way to live. I protect light, I can't do much about life itself." A scoffed and said

"No, that's up to K, isn't it? Can she do anything, or is it in L's hands now?" Ryu shook his head and said  
"Neither. They protect the order of life and death. They can't change it or add onto it. If they did, then they will be playing the roles of gods, which is forbidden. They have to make sure that the order isn't altered in any way. Think about it, if they can stop the deaths of anyone and anything, then no one would die, but those that have life will lose it eventually."  
"And I am no exception" A mumbled to himself. Then he looked at Ryu and asked

"What do you think his chances are?" Ryu shrugged.

"Hard to say. Isn't he in a coma? If he survives then there are multiple possibilities. One is that he will have brain damage because of the extended time with his brain shutting down. Another is that he will be disabled completely and won't be able to battle anymore. The last is that he will make a full recovery and might even get stronger. The possibilities for death are just one, he will die. Point is, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst." A nodded and replied

"I try to live by that. And on that matter, the Sanctuary is going to need another Warlord while Rick is out of commission. Who will take over?"  
Ryu shook his head and told him

"No, he stays as the Warlord. The Sanctuary waits for the Warlord to return or resign. For the time being, the Chief and the second-in-command of the army will have to work together to perform the Warlord role." A frowned and remarked

"That's a flawed system. What if the Chief and second-in-command are simultaneously killed while the true Warlord is out of commission? Who is to assume that role?"  
"The Queen and then the next in line for the throne. Which in this case is Rick's mate. This system seems flawed but the Queen and heir are both taught how to do the job. They have to train for the positions. A total Warqueen hasn't been seen in a while, but it has happened."  
"And yet there is always the possibility that something else will go wrong." A shook his head and thought out loud.

"I've seen many leaders go down, even caused quite a few of their downfalls, and yet they insisted that they were still almighty. At least this time we have a leader who could serve as a multipurpose weapon; if he survives, he is a rolemodel of strength and perseverance. If he dies, we have a martyr to our cause." Ryu nodded and rose, telling him

"Well I'll leave you to that. You should probably go and see Rick." A nodded and stood, then went back alone to Rick's room. Upon seeing the Warlord, A sighed resignedly and said to him, not knowing or really caring if he could hear him or not

"Sorry, Rick. I won't say I told you so; that's just cruel. But I wish I had acted sooner. Then maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way."

However, Alara was still in the room with Rick, sleeping next to him on the chair she was sitting on. She fell asleep, with Shadowbane in her arms. She then heard someone in the room and woke up slowly. She opened her eyes and saw A standing in the room and asked

"I thought I heard someone come in. How long was I asleep?" She looked at the clock. "Only a few minutes. Sleeping is impossible now. Did you come to see Rick?"

A nodded hesitantly, then said

"I thought you would be with Seras, Amber and your mother. How are you holding Shadowbane without it killing you?"

Alara rubbed her eyes and said

"Shadowbane only harms those that do not have permission to hold it. Also, how can I go with my friends and family when my mate is in this situation?"

She began to cry again. "How am I going to explain this to Maiyu?"

A then said to Alara as sympathetic as he could manage

"I don't want to sound cruel here, and I'm sorry if I come off that way. But you're not going to do him any good by stressing out like that. I'm sure he would want you to stay with your friends, which you should. They can be a source of comfort for you during these turbulent times. You need to be strong for both yourself and him. As for Maiyu... tell her that Rick is just going through a rough time right now or something. Perhaps a trial run. Just don't let her anywhere near him right now."

Alara sighed and said

"She'll want to be with her cousin. She's with us almost every day." A looked at Rick and replied

"Well, until he heals up, she shouldn't be allowed to see him. This sort of sight would damage her psyche. I've seen it happen before, and I would never want to see it again."

"But none of us, not even the doctors, know when he will wake up...or if he ever wakes up." Alara began to cry again.

A moved to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. Then he said gently but firmly

"Never think like that, alright? I know it's hard, but he's not gone yet. Don't give up hope that he will return to you. I know he's kickin' and screamin' within his mind to get back to you, and he will. Just have faith in him and Arceus, alright?"

Alara nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Thank you. I know that I shouldn't be like this, but I made so many plans for us. I just wonder when he'll wake up."

A nodded knowingly and said

"I understand. We all go through something like this at some point in our lives, some of us sooner than others. What helps determine your character is whether or not you can still perform regardless of the difficulty of the situation." He paused to let that sink in, then extended a hand to her, saying

"You should go and be with your friends. They need you as much as you need them."

Alara looked at his hand and then back to Rick. She took a minute to decide and then leaned forward and kissed Rick and told him

"I'll be back soon. I love you." She then took A's hand and walked out of the room. As they were walking Alara looked back at the room and then at A

"I wish he would wake up."

A nodded and told her

"I know, but these things have a tendency to happen, whether we like it or not. Don't worry, though, he'll come back to you soon. I know it." He gave her a reassuring smile before they exited the hospital.

**And that wraps up another exciting chapter! What do you guys think so far? Please let me know soon!**


	41. Ch 41: Of Guilt And Plans

**Well, I don't have much for you right now, but I'm still doing the spotlight and ratings. Story Spotlight; **_**The Assassin and The Princess**_**, by PokeMaster64. Ratings; 1st) United States, 2nd) Canada, 3rd) United Kingdom, 4th) Australia, 5th) Spain.**

Twas another day in the twenty-second den, and A woke up rather disgruntled. He was at this point in full control of his body, so he decided today was as good a day as any to get his official pokemon training out of the way, except this time _he _would be the one being trained.

He went to the kitchen, finding that Green had decided to sleep in today. He didn't mind, though. He grabbed some cereal and quickly ate a couple of bowls, then washed his meager mess up. He went outside and tried focusing his mind on finding Loran. It was a difficult challenge, but it was also one he enjoyed the thrill of completing when he managed to contact the Gallade.

Loran teleported with Rose at his side and asked

"What do you need, Alpha?" A nodded his head and replied

"I need you to train me. I want to be able to use my moves the way I should be able to, like a normal Gallade, even if I don't exactly look like one right now." Loran nodded and waved him over to the training grounds. Once they arrived, he crossed his arms and said

"Okay, give me an idea of what I'm working with." A nodded and replied

"I can use my arm blades in much the same manner I did with my original sword. In other words, in this form I can manipulate the elements around us." Loran nodded and asked

"Okay, anything more pokemon related?"

"I have a rudimentary understanding of teleportation, I can use telepathy to an extent, but I need more training with telekinesis. Further, I want to be able to use actual moves, the way you do." Loran nodded again and said

"Alright, but before I can train you in any of that, you must first understand the basics of being a Gallade." A crossed his arms and asked

"What all does that entail?"

"The code of honor that Gallades live by, or die trying. If you break this code without due reason, you shall be alienated by every other Gallade." A's eyes widened, and he asked

"Would that include you?" Loran hesitated now, trying to figure out how best to answer that.

"It's not that easy for me. I will be highly disgusted by your lack of honor, and my first instinct would be to attack you on sight. But I can't forget that you purified me, saving me from that horrible existence. You introduced me to Rose, who I have loved for the longest time now, and who has consented to bear my children." A nodded his understanding and said simply

"Then I'll just do everything in my power to follow this code, but if it requires me to sacrifice my ideals and the lives of pokemon, I will have to break it." Loran understood and said

"Don't worry; chances are the Gallade's Code of Honor will work in your favor." A cocked his head and asked

"How do you figure that?" Loran drew a large breath and explained

"Okay, from what I know, a Ninetails' curse that transforms humans into pokemon generally follows the individual's principles, ideals, values, etc. By that logic, since you were transformed into a Gallade, you have the same basic principles that are found in the Gallade Code of Honor." A nodded and said

"Alright, where do we start?"

"One of the first things to know is always respecting your opponent. You don't have to like him; just respect him. The Gallade with the largest crest is not the leader, as is sometimes assumed. The leader of any Gallade pack is the one who has gained the full respect and trust from his pack members." A nodded, getting absorbed into this.

"When two Gallade meet for a battle, they always bow to each other first. This shows respect to the opponent. Never go for a killing blow in a battle where it is unnecessary. That might seem like a stupid thing to say, but you'd be surprised how often pokemon do it just to assume superiority. If you choose a mate, you must always remain true to her, or him, if that's how you roll. If you commit adultery on your mate, you will be banished. If you have children at the time, you will be killed." A held up his hands and said

"Wait a minute, time out. Isn't it counter-productive to kill the father?" Loran shook his head and replied

"No. Once a habit has been formed in that manner, it will not be broken, and children are very impressionable. Seeing adulterous, perhaps even lecherous, behavior like that will corrupt them, and our species places a child's well-being above all else."

A nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"If someone is in danger, we are obligated to help. In essence, we are the knights in the pokemon realm, among a few others. Show respect but have dignity. That about covers the Gallade Code of Honor. Follow this, and you won't go wrong, unless circumstance forces you to adapt differently."

"Has that happened before?" Loran nodded and told him

"Yes, and in each instance where the Gallade has presented a valid argument for breaking the code, and it is backed up and confirmed, the Gallade will be pardoned." A nodded and said

"Alright, I won't fail." Loran smiled and said

"Good. Now we may move on to training. I imagine that due to your individual prowess, you will be stronger than most regular Gallade once you have been fully trained." A nodded and asked

"Where are we starting?" Loran placed a hand to his chin, then said

"I suppose we'll begin with telekinesis. It's a necessary skill in learning certain psychic moves, and without having learned that it is rather dangerous to attempt telepathy." A nodded again and said

"Very well, let's begin."

"Focus on your mind; feel the flow of the energy of psychic's course through you. Do not let it take over. You are the master of the power; it does not control you." A closed his eyes and did as Loran advised. When he felt the time was right, he opened his eyes and lifted his hand, aiming at a rock nearby. His vision became tinted with blue, his hand was covered in the same color, and the rock slowly lifted into the air. A tried to direct the rock's movement with his mind, but it was very slow going until it suddenly drove itself into the ground, creating a five foot deep hole. Loran eyed the area and asked

"Did you mean to do that?" A shook his head disappointedly, and Loran sighed and told him

"You shouldn't attempt complicated maneuvers. Not yet at least. That will come in time, but for now just concentrate on keeping objects in your psychic grasp."

Two hours later, much to Loran's surprise and Rose's delight, A had the hang of telekinesis. Sometimes it still backfired, but those events were largely sparse now.

"Very well," said Loran "now we'll begin with telepathy. It is in part a form of telekinesis, which is why it is important to master that first. Since you have a good grasp on telekinesis, you shouldn't have much trouble with telepathy. Be warned however; it gets harder the further you get from your intended recipient, and if you exert too much power, it can cause your recipient's mind to overload, in which case he or she could slip into a coma." A nodded and closed his eyes again, then smirked and spoke in Loran's mind

_"I understand. How's this?" _Loran smirked and replied in kind,

_"Very good. Psychic types require less power to communicate with, Dark types require existential power, and most everyone else, including humans, reside somewhere in the middle of that." _A smirked and spoke out loud again.

"Good to know. Now we can move on to the final piece of business; battle moves." Loran nodded and motioned for Rose to join them. Once she had, Loran turned back to A and said

"Alright, we should start you off with something easy. Let's see you use Teleport." A nodded and did so, appearing on the steps of his mansion. He repeated the move and appeared in front of them again. Loran nodded and said

"Good. Next, use Double Team. Imagine yourself multiplied by a certain number of times. For beginners, the recommended number is two to three." A closed his eyes, then imagined two more of him right next to him. He felt two distinct breaths of wind depart from his body, and when he opened his eyes, he saw two other silver Gallades standing by his side. He smirked and shuffled the three of them around, then said

_"Try and find the real me." _Rose and Loran smirked at each other, then Rose fired a Shadow Ball at one copy, and Loran fired a Psycho Cut at the other. A flinched, then asked

"How?" Loran and Rose laughed, and then Loran told him

"You're the only one that has a real mind. Duh." A facepalmed and muttered

"Damn, psychic abilities." Both of them laughed, and then Loran told him

"It's a good way to root out enemies, though." A smirked, then said

"Okay..." He used Double Team again, this time making ten copies of himself, then dashing off, unseen. He hid within the forest and said

_"Find me now."_ Loran smirked again, then turned to the forest and used Psychic to drag A out of his hiding place, kicking and screaming

"Damn it!" Loran and Rose laughed, and Rose advised

"Don't use Double Team against other psychics, unless they're young. Otherwise, you'll be found out in a flash." A grinned and nodded, then asked

"What's next?"

"Alright, let's see you pull of Confusion." A frowned and said

"I'd rather do Psychic." Loran shook his head and told him

"Baby steps, Alpha. You need to build up from the ground, not in mid-air." A growled, then focused his mind. Soon enough, he released the attack on a tree, causing it to bend strangely. He looked at Loran curiously, and he teased

"Confusing, ain't it?" They all laughed then, and Green's voice rang out from the porch.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" Seeing she didn't have her translator on at the moment, A replied telepathically

_"Well, I'm having Loran train me as a pokemon. That way I can fully take advantage of what I've got here." _Green's eyes widened in shock, and she asked

"Was that you, A?" He smirked and nodded, responding

_"Yep. I've already passed the 'initiation' into Galladehood, and completed two of three steps to being a fully realized Gallade. All I need now is my complete move set and we're ready to go." _Green nodded appreciatively, then waved them off, saying

"Well, don't let me stop you." She went back inside, and A couldn't take his eyes off the place where she had been just standing. Rose giggled and asked

"You really love her, don't you?" A nodded and replied grimly

"I do, but I feel like I don't deserve her." Rose was shocked and asked

"Why would you say that?" A looked at her in frustration and despair, saying

"Because humans and pokemon aren't meant to be together romantically! It just doesn't work out!" He sighed heavily, then brushed his hand over his crest, saying

"The only thing I have going for me is that I'm not a full-blown pokemon, and she feels similarly to me." Rose gasped and said excitedly

"Alpha, that's wonderful! You should be rejoicing! The girl you've had your eye on for the better part of ninety years feels something for you, and that means you can try to court her." A's face became despairing again and he asked

"But what if she doesn't like the fact that I transform between pokemon and human? Her emotions weren't very clear on that point, or at least hesitant. Besides, my job exposes me to danger, and if I court and win her over, she will be exposed to the same danger. Plus, I wouldn't be able to give her as much attention as I should because I would have to be moving around a lot." Rose hesitated, then approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder, telling him

"You shouldn't let that stop you. Explain that to her, and she will be aware of it. If she can't look past those slight faults and see you for whom you really are, then she doesn't deserve you." A looked up at her with sadness in his eyes and said softly

"But I love her. I can't just let her go like that. At the very least, I want us to keep our current friendship, but if I confess to her how I feel, she won't be able to look at me the same way. I don't know what to do." Rose turned his face toward hers, and she spoke gently but firmly.

"Your instincts will guide you, but don't quail from them. Just take that leap of faith when you need to." A nodded, and Rose relinquished her hold on him. Then Loran stepped forward and said

"Let's continue."

Several hours later, A had mastered a complete move set consisting of Teleport, Double Team, Confusion, Psywave, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Close Combat, Shadow Ball, Focus Blast, Signal Beam, and several others. A was feeling fairly proud of himself right now, and he went in for lunch. He found Green already making something for herself, and he was about to go to the fridge, but then he paused. Smirking, he used Psychic to open the fridge, bring an assortment of berries to him, and then close the fridge.

Smiling to himself, he sat down at the table with his small stash and began to eat. Green smirked and asked

"So, you got a hold on those powers yet?" A nodded absently and replied

"Yep." For a few moments, all was silent, then Green sighed heavily. A turned his head to her and asked

"What's wrong?" She looked at him, tears in her eyes, and told him

"I'm worried about Alara. She's very depressed right now, though I can't blame her. I mean, none of us saw that coming." A felt a stab of guilt and said

"Well, that's not strictly true." Green regarded him with confusion and asked

"What do you mean? Did you know this was going to happen? And if so, why didn't you say anything?" A looked away and said sadly

"I knew what was going to happen, but I couldn't say anything directly. I tried to prevent it from happening, but I guess fate plays the game on a whole other level. It was about a week ago..."

**The Hall of Origin**

A appeared in the meeting hall next to Ryu in his Gallade form. He waved to him and asked

"Hey Ryu, how's it goin'?" Ryu looked at him and chuckled

"Well if it isn't the boy turned pokemon. Thank you for leaving me alone here as the only human." A shrugged and replied

"I can't help it if a Ninetails is irrational because I try to keep those under my protection safe. At any rate, I'm not a full-blooded pokemon." Transforms back into a human.

"See?" Ryu took a short pause and then said

"Three...two...one." A transformed back into a Gallade. Ryu chuckled and told him

"Don't worry boy, just practice. However, for the sake of this meeting, allow me to help you." Ryu then drew his blade and poked A, between the eyes, with the tip of the blade. A transformed back into a human and Ryu said

"That should hold the form for about another twelve hours. During that time try to imprint the human information so you can use the form more freely. However, I can't do that often. So take every opportunity you get."

A nodded his thanks, then shifted his attentions as Arceus entered the room. Everyone bowed, and Arceus said

"Let us begin with role. Sound off!" Everyone called out their codenames, and once that was finished, Arceus nodded and said

"Very well, let's begin with the balances. R and U?" Ryu nodded and said

"Me and U have been discussing something that seems to be approaching." U continued for Ryu

"Yes, something evil has begun to make its move. Sadly, it looks like the paladin you appointed has to deal with it. I count three dark personalities working together to destroy Aeruthael." Ryu then said to Arceus

"All three of these beings are much more powerful than Aeruthael. If he doesn't do something, he will be defeated and killed. At best he can probably survive, but lose." A's expression became one of concern, and he asked

"What about the team? Won't we be able to do something? At the very least, I should be able tip the balance to his favor, not least because I have a Titan." U shook his head

"No. Aeruthael will be attacked when he decides to take a walk alone in the Hoenn region. He will leave his Titan with his mate and walk alone to clear his mind. Unfortunately, there's no avoiding the attack. They will find him. They will either kill him or take him out of commission for a while. Point being, he's not walking out of there." A frowned and argued

"What if I convince him not to go in the first place? Or even insist on some sort of guard? Short of that, I will follow behind. I will not abandon a pokemon that I know is under imminent threat of injury or death." X replied

"You cannot change fate. Even if you go to stop it, it will not change the outcome. One of the assailants will stop you and another will deliver the blow that takes Aeruthael out. A straight stab through the chest and being nearly sliced in half." M bit her bottom lip and then said to A

"We don't like the news either A, but fate is fate. If it has to happen, then it has to happen. I wish it wouldn't though." A slammed his fist on the table and shouted

"Bullshit! Not everything is set in stone, least of all the future. Short of dying, there are a variety of things I could do to ensure his safety! I could bind him up for the sake of preserving the life of the Warlord. And I don't care what any of you say; we all have the opportunity to change our fates, and there's no reason why Rick would be the only exception." L sighed and said

"It's not definite that he will die A. You must learn that everything is permitted, nothing is final. He can live, and with me having jurisdiction in death, I can tell you that even I can't tell." D nodded

"She's right. I understand your concern, but you have to learn that you can't change everything. However, I must ask: Is it your will that drives you, or your pride?" A hesitated, then mumbled

"I hope it's not my pride..." Then he looked up at the rest of the Knights and said

"Call me crazy, but I believe in a job well done. I realize I can't protect every single pokemon out there, though I would love to. But if there is a pokemon in peril within my range, I will go to extraordinary lengths to see to it that they can still enjoy what life has to offer them. Further, Rick is an instrumental player in this game of chance we are currently gambling with. Think of him much like a king in chess; we lose him, we lose the game. Therefore, it is paramount we ensure his safety." Ryu chuckled and said

"Good analogy boy." His drive in his voice then dropped.

"I never liked seeing Rick hurt. Quite the sight that can bring a tear to your eye. We've all seen him grow up and many of us have seen him when he was born. So you can imagine why we're not too comfortable with the situation. You think we don't want to go down there and stop it from happening? However, Aeru has to taste devastating defeat or even death. If it's his time, then it's his time. It just pains me to think what would become of his mate." A growled and turned his head away for a moment. Afterward, his expression still irritated, he said uneasily

"Fine, I won't try to interfere if everyone is really convinced this is best. But how am I going to explain this to his mate and friends? If they learn that I knew this was going to happen, and yet did nothing despite my position, they'll be sure to ostracize me!" Z snickered and said

"Who said that you couldn't help him? Go ahead and try, but it'll be too risky to use your Titan. Don't do it. If anything happens to him, just tell his mate what happened exactly, but don't tell her that you knew. The team will learn in the process. I know what you're thinking, why have him die nearly a month before his wedding. Quite frankly, we have no control over that. If he does die, or winds up injured, just sit his mate down and tell it to her in a comforting way. No doubt she will be devastated." A sighed and ran a hand through his spiky red hair, then said

"Well, I hope things don't get too far out of hand. And I suppose Ixion would be best left in the Sanctuary as a means of protection. I'll try to convince him not to go; short of that, I will track him and attempt to mitigate the chances of his death. The last thing I need right now is to explain to his fiancée that he died while on a casual stroll, and that I could do nothing to stop it." Arceus then told him

"I understand how you feel. However, this needs to happen. And you are forbidden from revealing this information until after the fact. I cannot have anyone messing around with the balance of nature. Do you understand?" A nodded sadly, and they were dismissed.

**Back in the twenty-second den**

Green sat back in shock, looking at A, who couldn't meet her eyes right now.

"Believe me, I wanted to do something more direct, like reveal the entire situation, but I was forbidden to. And I didn't want to reveal this information afterward, because I knew that the whole team would be angry with me for not doing something more." Green shook herself and began to console him.

"But you were under direct orders from Arceus not to reveal the extent of your knowledge. Even if you wanted to go against them, doing so could have resulted in your punishment, and only Arceus knows what _that _would look like." A looked up at her finally, a small amount of fear still hidden within his eyes.

"So… you're not angry that I deliberately kept this secret from you?" Green hesitated, then said

"Well, I won't deny it makes me a bit suspicious what else you could be hiding, but I'm not really one to pry." A breathed a sigh of relief, then said

"Thank you." Green nodded and they finished their lunch. One all the dishes were washed and put away, A looked out the window for a short while, whereupon Green asked him

"What are you thinking about?" A frowned and replied

"Now that Team Rocket believes Rick to be dead, I think they're going to be making a mass movement soon." Green walked up to him with a nervous expression and asked

"How do you know?" A shook his head and told her

"I don't; it's just a hunch. But very few of my hunches about the enemy have failed, and if they decide to move out, even I would have a hard time keeping them back." More nervous than ever, Green asked

"So, what are you going to do?" A rubbed his chin and murmured

"We need an edge… a way to keep tabs on them… I may have a solution, but it will require the permission of the Chief and the current replacement of the Warlord." Green regarded him with confusion and asked

"Why would you need that?" A looked at her and responded

"My plan is to set up scouting trips to keep tabs on the region, each individual city, and have reports every five days or so. This way will keep us updated on any activities Team Rocket commits. But in order for this to be most effective, whoever I send to retrieve the reports will have to be able to go to and from the Sanctuary." Green thought the proposal over for a bit, then said

"It sounds good in practice, but what about actual application?" A grinned and responded

"Leave that for me to worry about. I've actually had this plan in consideration for a while, but abstained from using it because I believed the Warlord, Rick, was on top of it. With him out of commission, however, I feel I need to do something to help make up for his temporary loss." Green nodded and said

"Then you better go and introduce your idea soon, possibly now." A nodded, then closed his eyes and teleported to the top level of the Sanctuary. He looked around, seeing some of the shocked faces of the community, which amused him. Then he saw the distinct impression of the Chief's court and teleported in that direction. Once he arrived to the top of the stairs, he turned to the guards and said diplomatically

"I need to see the Chief and in-acting-Warlord." The guards looked at each other, then asked him

"And you are…?" A facepalmed and transformed back into a human, then allowed himself to be transformed back. The guard's faces became expressions of understanding, if somewhat bewildered, and allowed him entrance. A walked up to the thrones where the Chief was currently sitting, but he couldn't find the replacement Warlord. He looked up at the regal Gallade and asked

"Sir, who's assuming the Warlord's position right now, and where is he or she?" He sighed and replied

"My daughter Alara is assuming the role of Warlord now, but she spends her time with Rick in the hospital, waiting for him to return to her." A nodded grimly, and Saifer told him

"What is your purpose here? Why are you looking for her?" A looked up at him and responded

"I was looking for you both, actually. I have a plan I want to enact, with your permission, of course. I assumed that I needed both the permission of the King and Warlord in order to make it happen." Saifer shook his head and replied

"Not quite. Either one of us could grant you permission, depending how we each see it. Sometimes both are advisable, but it's not necessary. What exactly did you have in mind?" A took a deep breath and began to explain his plan.

"My plan was to create scouting trips to watch over the region and report back to me every five days or so and keep me updated on reports about any movements from Team Rocket." Saifer scratched his chin and said

"You assume much power by doing so. Tell me, where do you plan to get your recruits?"

"From my own line-up of pokemon. They all have seen tough spots in one form or another, and something like this wouldn't affect them. Moreover, they are loyal to me and will not reveal our location if discovered." Saifer leaned forward and asked skeptically

"How can you be sure of that? Many individuals would give under the right circumstances." A eyed him darkly and replied

"Believe me, Sire, after much of what we have seen and done together, we have a mutual trust that goes so far as to die for each other. My pokemon will not betray me, you or the rest of your people. Your society will remain a secret, but the activities of Team Rocket will be ours to know." Saifer nodded and said

"It's an interesting plan, I admit. Rick had something similar, but his spies only reported to him. With him out of commission, it's difficult to know what they're up to." Saifer eyed A and asked

"What if something similar happens to you? What then?"

"I'll create a failsafe in which my pokemon will answer to you and show you the same loyalty they show me. However, that will only happen if I go down, at which point you might find that my pokemon are too distraught to continue." Saifer frowned and remarked

"That's still a somewhat flawed system." A nodded understandingly and argued

"But we need an edge, a way to keep tabs for any threats that might come up. My plan isn't perfect, I admit, but it's better than remaining in the dark. Even if you shoot me down and decide to use it for yourself, you still have to spend time gathering your forces, while I already have mine at hand." Saifer nodded grimly and sat back, rubbing his temples and sighing, telling A

"You make a compelling argument. Very well, you have my permission, as long as you make sure our society isn't unveiled. I won't stick to the plan if it means the sanctity of my people. I'll inform Alara what you've decided to do, unless you get to her first, and we'll go from there." A nodded and bowed, saying

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I'll see to the arrangement at once." He teleported back to the twenty-second den, where Green was waiting for him. She ran up and asked

"How did it go?" A transformed back into a human and told her

"It went well. I've got the permission I requested, now all I have to do is set it up." With that, he whistled shrilly to call his pokemon forward. Once everyone was gathered, save those who were still in the hospital, A called out to them.

"All right guys, the time for dilly-dallying is over! I've got an assignment which will require a good portion of you. Flyers and small pokemon, front and center!" Once the pokemon he called for were where he asked, he began to pace. Then he turned to them and said

"Flyers and small statured, find a partner and buddy up. The rest of you, on standby." After each of the flyers had a partner, A addressed them again.

"Okay, the plan is simple to remember; each of you will have a specific area to watch over. You are to keep track of any Team Rocket movements, and when the report collector comes around about every five days, you will give a detailed report about whatever you have noticed from Team Rocket. I hope it will pretty much be nothing, but I expect there to be long reports. Does everybody understand?"

They all nodded, and Rose asked

"Sorry to interrupt, but who will be the report collector?" A nodded and told them

"It will be a combination of my best teleporter and fastest flyer. So, to better answer your question, you and Scott will be teaming up every five days, going around the region and collecting reports from each team." She and Scott nodded at each other, and A said

"Another important detail is that in the event I cannot be reached for a report, for whatever reason, go immediately to the Chief, Saifer, and give it to him. This is a failsafe to ensure that this system runs smoothly. One more thing-" he looked at all of them before saying

"In the event you are found, you must not reveal the location of this Sanctuary. We are maintaining a high stealth mission here. Does everybody understand? You go to the grave with this secret if it comes to that." They all nodded grimly, and A said

"Alright, flyers and partners, line up for your assigned area. I'll be giving them out and marking your location on a map, which will be given to Rose. She will send out a psychic signal that everyone recognizes while Scott remains in the air. If you do not respond within ten minutes, we will assume the worst and move accordingly." The partners of the flyers hopped onto the backs of their respective partners and lined up in front of A, who took out a map of Sinnoh and a marker.

After the names and places had been received, A placed them back into their balls, intending to go out of the Sanctuary and release them to begin their work. Over a third of his team was going back into the line of work now, and he hoped nothing would happen to them. He transformed and clipped the pack around his waist, then teleported to the top level again. He looked around, then disappeared.

When he reappeared, he was in between the Sanctuary and Pastoria City. He then took out the pokeballs and released the partners, one by one, telling each of them

"Good luck." They had all nodded back, then took off. Once everyone who had been assigned to the mission had flown off, A returned to the twenty-second den and sighed, saying

"Phase one is out of the way. Now we move onto Phase two." He returned to the mansion, hoping to get a decent amount of rest tonight.

**Oh boy, this story's really coming along, isn't it? Anyway, just a reminder, the poll is still open, so cast your votes before April tenth.**


	42. Ch 42: Advice And Explanations

**Hey guys, sorry for the wait. Didn't have much room for writing, still don't, really, but I'm, going to try and get something in anyway. Before we begin, however, I feel compelled to inform you that a new forum is up, of which galladefenrir44 and I are moderators. The forum is called The Blade and the Embrace & A Deal With A God Q&A, and is intended for you to be able to ask both of us any questions you may have, and we will answer them all, provided they are appropriate. Please, do not try to strike up a conversation; that is what Private Messaging is for. Anyway, let's get started. Story Spotlight; **_**The Bell of Death**_**, by The 9Tard. Ratings; 1st) United States 2nd) Canada 3rd) Germany 4th) United Kingdom 5th) Australia. **

After A was finished deploying the troops and had returned to the twenty-second den, he looked around. The area was substantially emptier, but he still had a fair number of his pokemon left. Suddenly feeling a grip of panic, he teleported to his room. There he opened up the closet and moved the items inside around until he uncovered the box that held the Snag Machine.

Still not fully relieved, he quickly retrieved it and undid the clasp, then opened it up. Inside the arm-shaped weapon still glowed brightly. Now fully at ease, A returned the box to its shelf and restored the barriers he placed around it.

He went to the kitchen and found Green talking with Rose, although they immediately stopped when he came in, giving him reason to believe it had been about him. However, he felt no need to pry. Instead, he wanted to battle. He was already a proficient fighter, even as a Gallade, but it was always interesting because fighting styles or terms could be changed to make the match more interesting. He went outside and searched with his mind until he found Loran, whereupon he contacted him and said

"_Loran, meet me in the training grounds behind the mansion." _Loran replied

"_Be right there." _A smiled and walked to the side he would be taking. Once he did, Loran appeared in the middle of the field. He saw A's position and smirked, jumping and back-flipping all the way to the other side of the battlefield. As custom dictated, A and Loran bowed to each other, demonstrating their respect for each other. Then they settled into their various battle stances, neither side wanting to make the first move.

A cast his mind around carefully, then attacked Loran within his mind. The Gallade flinched and jumped, breaking the contact. A jumped after him and fired a Psycho Cut. Loran sliced it evenly, dissipating it after he did. He fired a Night Slash, which A intercepted with a dual Attack Judgement, easily slicing the dark projectile.

Still in the air, A unleashed a barrage of Psycho Cuts and Night Slashes. Loran dodged, deflected, or destroyed them all as he fell to the ground below, A not far behind. Loran alighted upon the ground and jumped back up in an attempt to catch A unawares. However, A would not be fooled; using his psychic powers, he flipped himself over just as Loran passed by him, then grabbed his feet and continued his momentum, sending Loran back to the ground.

Loran struck, rolling to dissipate the worst of the impact, but he still winced from the blow. Meanwhile, Green and Rose had come outside to watch the two Gallade spar.

Next Loran extended his blades and began to execute a strange, hair-prickling dance, which A recognized as Swords Dance. Loran's blades became sharper and he appeared more muscular. Not intimidated, A drew his swords and utilized the power of earth. Bringing both hands up, he slammed them back down onto the battlefield, withdrawing his swords with prodigious speed. The extra momentum gave A the effect he wanted, and he created an earthquake that was restricted to the battlefield so he would not damage the mansion and, more importantly, the integrity of the Sanctuary.

Loran was unbalanced by the maneuver but soon regained it. Then he rushed forward and attempted to hit him with a Shadow Cut. A drew his right blade, activated the power of darkness, and began to spar directly with Loran. Loran drew his other sword and charged a Leaf Blade on it, and A drew forth his other blade and charged a Pyro Judgement. Once again they traded blows, sending each other back but neither gaining ground.

In all truth, A was holding back so that Loran could stand a fighting chance, but he said to Loran

"I hope you're not holding back." Loran smirked and replied as he slashed downward toward A's head

"Just as you are with me?" A blocked the attack and kicked Loran's chest, pushing him back and knocking the wind out of him. While he regained his breath, A raised his arms defensively and retorted

"It's not honorable to fight on unfair odds." Loran chuckled and replied

"Nor is it honorable to deny your opponent an honest, unrestrained battle. If I am to be defeated at your hands, then let me see just how strong you are." A paused for a moment, then bowed and said

"Very well. Prepare yourself." With that, A disappeared from view, and Loran drew his blades, looking around, trying to anticipate his opponent's next move. Without warning, A's mind attacked and subdued his own, preventing him from utilizing his own psychic abilities. Then A came out of nowhere in front of him and began pushing him back with a barrage of attacks, hardly leaving any openings for Loran to exploit, and what openings there were had been too close together for Loran to be able to exploit.

On A pushed until Loran was rocketed out of the field. But before he could strike the ground, A caught him with his powers and brought him back, asking

"I hope I didn't harm you?" Loran grinned and winced at the same time, then replied

"Well, you weren't very gentle, but that _was_ honorable. It was a match where my full abilities were tested, against a worthy opponent and without besmirching any of the codes. You are upholding them well." A bowed and responded

"That means more to me than you can imagine. I am proud to call myself an upholder of the codes that help shape a Gallade's honor." Loran nodded and bowed in return, then smiled and said

"If you don't mind, I would like to have a rematch, but perhaps a little more limited this time." A smirked and replied

"I cannot use my powers?" Loran shook his head and replied

"Neither of us shall use our powers. It shall strictly be a physical spar." A nodded his consent and teleported to the other side of the battlefield. He and Loran took up their positions once again and bowed one more time. Then they both drew their blades, green for Loran and silver for A, and rushed into the battle.

Loran immediately went for a feinted downward slash, covering for an uppercut. A blocked both maneuvers and tossed Loran over his head, flipping and twisting in midair to Loran's position as he crashed to the ground. Loran growled and picked himself up, then dashed at A, remaining low.

At about ten feet, A tensed, preparing himself for whatever Loran had in mind. He knew that the code would not allow him to break the terms, and he certainly would not, but he wondered what Loran had in mind.

Loran slid on and stabbed an arm blade into the ground, increasing his momentum while changing his course in a split second. A jumped and tucked in his legs as he avoided Loran's ground sweep, trying to unsettle his balance. At that moment, A noticed a Gardevoir that was clearly not Rose. She was dressed in garments that resembled Rick's Warlord outfit, but was tailored for the female figure. More specifically, Gardevoir.

Alara, for that was who was approaching, also had the dark blade Shadowbane belted to her hip. A stopped the match he and Loran were currently having, already clear who the winner was, and Green accompanied him as they walked to Alara while Loran went off to tend his injuries, Rose following to help. As they approached, Green said

"Alara! It's so good to see you." She then noticed Alara's new attire and said

"Oh, that's an interesting new look." Alara gave a brave smile and replied

"This is the traditional female Warlord attire. Never in my life did I think that I would have to wear it." She then fiddled with Shadowbane on her hip and at A, who nodded and told her

"It suits you well. If all goes well, however, you will probably not wear that for too long. What do you need from me, My Lady?" Alara looked at A seriously and said

"I heard from my father that you sent out some scout parties. I would like to know what that is all about." A nodded and replied

"I have sent a variety of scouts all over the region to watch over the various cities and larger routes to keep track of any Team Rocket movements. They all come from my own stock of pokemon but will answer to your father in the event I cannot be reached. They understand that this is a very important stealth mission, and will not reveal the location of the Sanctuary under any circumstances. I have assigned Rose and my Whimsicott, Scott, to gather the reports of the scouts, then give me the information." Alara nodded and further asked

"While I accept the idea, I still have to ask; why didn't you bring it to me earlier?" A shuffled his feet and replied

"You were visiting Rick in the hospital, and I figured you needed that time to yourself. Your father said he would inform you of my plan once you returned. I would have addressed it to you directly, but I had to direct my troops first." Alara looked down and then sighed.

"Thank you for understanding. I know I shouldn't stay too long with Rick, now that I have to perform his responsibilities." A nodded and encouraged her

"If you need any help, you shouldn't be afraid to ask. And I don't just mean me. Someone else held the position before Rick, no? Perhaps you could ask him or her for advice."

"His uncle Daedalus was the Warlord before him and his father prior." A nodded and said

"Very well, if you find your position difficult to manage, you could ask him for advice."

"Well Xeron is dead and Daedalus has been sent by my father to visit the Medicham civilization." A paused for a moment, then said

"Well, I know I don't hold a position in your society, and that might reflect on your view of me, but I believe I have a good understanding of battles and strategy. However, that might be the only help I can offer. I don't think I have any political influence here, nor do I think I need any. Especially since my time here is limited to the duration of this war." Alara gave a slight smile behind her sad expression.

"Thank you." Alara's stomach then grumbled, prompting Green to ask

"Are you hungry?"

Alara nodded and replied

"I am. I haven't eaten anything today. I woke up and immediately went to the hospital. Needless to say, my parents have been very worried about me since Rick slipped into a coma." A hesitated, then said

"In all truth, we are too. You haven't been yourself since that... event, and I can understand why. However, you shouldn't allow this to completely ruin your life. I hope I don't sound cruel in saying this, but I'm sure Rick would tell you to pull yourself together and get the work finished. At least, that's what I would do." Green then slapped his arm, and he looked at her in confusion and asked

"What? What'd I say?" Green rolled her eyes, looking at Alara and asked her

"Can you believe some men?" Alara laughed weakly

"Yeah, they say a lot of things they shouldn't. However, he's right. I have changed, maybe for the worst." A looked between them both, then shrugged and said

"Well, I'm probably no use here. Clearly I did something wrong. Besides, Rose is due shortly for a report, and I have to attend to that." Alara stopped him;

"Before you go, let me ask both of you. Should I go back to see Rick, or should I go home?" A hesitated, then told her

"Well, if you want my personal opinion, I think you should see a bit more of the sun. It can do wonders for you, and you would only be depressed seeing Rick. At home, the only thing you would do is contemplate him. Therefore, you should avoid both situations." Green hesitated herself, then agreed.

"As much as I don't like it, that would be what I would do. It's best you take your mind off the depressing matter. We're not saying completely ignore him, but you shouldn't spend so much time obsessing over something you cannot change."

Alara put her hand to her chin and thought for a second. She sighed and nodded, saying

"I understand. I guess I should go for a walk or visit my parents for a while. I should see if they have anything to eat." She laughed and then said to A

"It's not that I want to live in a shell. It's just that I want my mate back. I wasn't prepared to lose him so suddenly." A's eyes grew downcast and he replied dully

"We all lose those we love; it's a simple fact and consequence of life." He pointed in the general direction of his pokemon and said

"Already I have lost some of them, and in one instance I paid a price for it. But the heartache will not end there, because where there is life, there is also death, which is almost irreversible, except for Arceus. Rick is still alive; just keep that in mind." Before anyone could tell him off, he turned away and went back to the training grounds. Green sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, and told Alara

"Sorry, he gets like that sometimes. I guess that's one of the consequences of his eternal youth." Alara winced and remarked

"That sounds horrible. This may sound weird, but I'd rather not live forever. I want to grow old, live in peace, and then die in peace." Green nodded and replied

"I know what you mean. I can only imagine the torture he must endure from realizing that for as long as he remains the White Knight of Arceus, he's subject to loss and despair." Alara looked at them and then asked Green

"Do you have his eternal youth?" Green paused, thinking the question over. Then she replied

"I don't know, actually. The only thing I was told was that Rick, your mate, requested my resurrection, but his reasons are unknown to me. What puzzles me more, though, is that Arceus complied. I mean, I haven't done anything special like Michael, so why would he consent to bring me back? I have a feeling both Rick and Michael know, but Michael diverts the subject every time I bring it up, and Rick is... unavailable right now." Alara sighed and said

"I guess it's something to ask Arceus or Rick at another time. However, how does it feel to be given another chance at life? To be young again. At the moment, life is confusing to me and I don't know what to think anymore." Green giggled, then sobered up a bit and replied

"It's a bit... humbling. I mean, I've already had a crack at life, and for the most part, I'm happy with how it worked out. I mean, there are obviously parts I wish I could redo, but it is what it is. If you're willing to take advice from an old woman such as myself-" she paused for a moment, then giggled madly. When she recovered, she continued.

"Ohh, sorry. If you're willing to take advice from an old woman, you shouldn't be afraid to take certain risks. Just don't be completely reckless. I tell you what, though, being young again certainly feels better than being old. I had the worst case of arthritis you could imagine, and the general area where I lived was not very compromising for something like that." Alara giggled

"Well you must be very grateful. I wonder what Arceus has in store for me and Rick. He brought you and A back, brought Rick back to the Sanctuary, got me and Rick together. Now all I ask is to know how to move on from here." Green shrugged and stated

"Well, in my experience, and Michael might have said this before, life is full of unexpected turns and surprises, not all of them welcome. But being able to move past all of that, and still enjoy what benefits life gives you makes you a truly strong person." Alara chuckled

"Then Rick should be indestructible. Mainly considering all that has happened to him in his life." Green frowned, then replied

"Following that logic, Michael would be beyond indestructible. But that's not how it works. I really mean spiritual strength."

Alara sighed and said

"I guess that I'm lacking in that form of strength. As you probably can tell, I was pretty well protected as I grew up. You know, being the princess and all, I had all the luxuries that I wanted. However, I never wanted them. What I really wanted was to be like the people under me. My parents understood and allowed me to live like them on the outside, but on the inside there was still a pampered side to me. I never experienced true loss or pain for a long time, namely when I lost my grandfather, my Pop-Pop" Alara giggled lightly.

"I'll admit, I'm always unprepared to lose anyone, and that's why I'm taking Rick's condition so hard. Each time I lose someone I blame myself. Sure, I wish everyone I loved could live forever, but then I would have to stay with the reality that not everyone gets the luxuries that you and A have been given. Not even my power and wealth could give that to me. If I couldn't blame myself, I would blame Arceus, but then I would feel bad for harboring such thoughts."

Alara then walked to a bench and sat down.

"I have to be honest with you Green; the night I went home after Rick went into a coma, I broke down in our room and began blaming Arceus for not helping him. I actually stayed up crying, not only because of Rick's condition, but because I knew I was so weak. I was blaming the one being that had blessed me so much. I'm pathetic!" Green sat by her and rubbed her back, saying softly

"We all go through that at some point. We generally blame the higher power, if only because we don't like to blame ourselves, which we have a tendency to do anyway. But A has realized for a while that there really is no purpose to blaming the higher power, least of all Arceus. In fact, if anything, we need to be sympathetic toward him. He experiences the death of each of his creations, and has to surrender them to Giratina. That would not be easy for any parent to do." Alara paused for a moment, then said

"I guess I never thought about that. I know I shouldn't blame him, but I always look for someone to blame, mainly because I know I can't protect Rick or myself. I'm one of the weakest on the team. But now I have to take Rick's place and lead the army while he's incapacitated. I have no idea how to do it." Green grinned and told her

"Well, if you really need someone to blame, just aim for the one at fault, which Michael said was Iota. As for inexperience, that will pass quickly enough. Further, there are plenty people, and pokemon for that matter, who are weaker than you. Don't let yourself be discouraged, and by far don't discourage yourself." Alara nodded

"Alright." She then gave Green a curious smile and asked

"So, what are you and A going to do today?" Green shrugged and said

"Not much on my end. Michael, on the other hand, has some reports to compile and look closely in an attempt to see if Team Rocket is doing anything, and then determine a course of action from there." Alara frowned and asked

"Do you two even spend time together?" Green sighed then, and she replied sadly

"I'm trying to get him to relax, but that word is almost nonexistent in his personal dictionary, or at least very distorted." She looked up in the direction he had traveled.

"I want to try and help him, but he's been a loner since battling Cipher, and that was reflected in part when he was going around as Red. I don't know what to do here. I can give you advice on how to deal with life, but I can't even help my own friend." Alara thought for a moment, then said matter-of-factly

"Well what I usually do to Rick is force him. However, you don't have powers. You're going to have to find a way to get through to him. If you need my help then I will gladly give it." Green nodded and said

"I could definitely use help, but I have to warn you, he is a deadly fighter. And since he doesn't quite have a social experience, one of the few things protecting you is the fact that you are pokemon, who he will not hurt."

Alara sighed and said somewhat despairingly

"So this is for naught. He has to have some humanity in himself besides compassion." Green sighed and hung her head, then told her

"If you knew more about him, then you might understand why he is the way he is. Yet even despite what he's told me, I know that's not all there is to it."

"Well I'm still waiting for something. No one can be that closed up, even to people that he should consider as his friends. I can read his mind for you if you want." Green shrugged and replied

"As far as I know, I'm the only human friend he has. Or even the only human contact. He might feel you in his mind, given that he's a part Psychic pokemon now, and I know he wouldn't take kindly to it. If you can be stealthy, though, then I guess it's worth a shot." Alara raised an eyebrow and asked

"And if we're found out?" Green smirked and replied

"We run for our lives and pray to Arceus." Alara frowned and asked

"Is he really that dangerous?" Green chuckled and said darkly

"No, it's worse. We'd get leniency because we're females. He doesn't believe in violence towards them. If another psychic who was male tried to do that, however, and Michael caught him in the act, he'd get the beating of a lifetime. We could get off, but he would give us such a tongue-lashing. I've actually heard his upbraiding, and it can make you feel a low such as you have never known. Yet he can still employ compassion. I think he would make an excellent father." Alara shrugged

"Whatever you say. Still he should know that we're just trying to help." Green nodded and responded

"The problem is that he doesn't think that he needs help. He believes in full-blown independence; in other words, if he thinks he has a problem, he'll try and take care of it himself, by himself." Alara shook her head and said

"That is absolutely no way to live. Were his experiences that bad?"

"From what he told me so far, it's worse. And I don't even know what he's hiding from me, and I have a feeling that I will never know."

"You should try to find out what he's hiding." Green hesitated, then asked

"How? Asking directly won't work, and I hardly think he'd be willing to say anything anyway."

"Then just wait him out. Spend as much time as you can with him until he begins to crack." Green laughed humorlessly, then said

"That might take until past the end of this war. He has an iron will."

"Iron, but not diamond. It can be crushed." Green frowned and said

"I don't follow." Alara elaborated

"Everyone has their breaking points. You just have to find a good way of getting under A's defenses." Green snorted and said

"Easier said than done. But I guess you're right. The problem is I have to do it in a way that doesn't make him suspicious, and just about everything makes him suspicious." Alara chuckled and said

"Well I'm not sure if you're all for this, but just flirt a little." Green cocked her head in confusion and asked

"Flirt? What does that mean?" Alara looked at her in shock and asked

"You're kidding? Right?" Green shook her head slowly, saying

"No, I mean it. What are you talking about?" Alara sighed and said

"You know, try to use your womanly charm on him until he breaks." Green looked forward in slight shock and asked herself

"Geez, have the times changed so dramatically? Where have I been this entire time? Then she looked at Alara and asked

"Any idea how I pull that off? Especially without tipping him off?"

"Just be extremely friendly, but not to the point where you get him to want to sleep with you. That's when you know you have gone too far." Green smirked and told her

"I'm safe in that realm, though. I suppose it would seem strange to you, but in our time, when we were about your age, pre-marital sex was very sparse as it was looked heavily down upon. Besides, I don't think that thought would ever cross his mind." Alara nodded and said

"Good to know. For us here we can only mate before marriage if we made the decision that the person we sleep with is the one we're going to be with forever. It's an honor thing that we can't break. Either way, just play with his mind." Green laughed loudly and said

"Oh, that's courting danger there!" Alara cocked her head and asked

"How so?" Green looked at her seriously and asked

"Do you honestly think after playing mind games against hardened criminals for the better part of his childhood and following through that for the rest of his life, he would succumb to whatever pathetic attempts I could make?"

"Trust me, as long as you make it seem like you don't want to know, the more this will work. I've done it on Rick a couple of times." Green frowned and asked

"So... like reverse psychology?" Alara smirked.

"In a way, yes. You just have to make sure he never learns of your true motives." Green placed a hand to her chin in thought and said

"That'll be hard, but I might as well try it. Can you help me out for my first round? I think I should be able to handle it from there." Alara nodded and said

"Sure, but we'll have to wait for him to come back." Green cocked her head and asked

"Why?"

"I thought that you wanted to try your luck. So to do that you'll need A to be here. Just to see what we do right and what we do wrong." Green then asked

"But wouldn't it be more productive to go directly to him instead of waiting on him? Especially since he's the one that left us. That makes it unpredictable when he'll return, if ever." Alara shrugged her shoulders and the said

"Alright, you lead the way. You know this place better than I do." Green led Alara behind the mansion, where A could be seen sparring against Ixion in his war-horse form. Green looked at Alara and asked

"How should we start?"

"Simple. Get his attention and strike up a conversation."

Green thought for a moment, then called out

"Hey, Michael!" He turned around and was struck by Ixion's horn, sending him into the ground. Green winced and said

"Oops. We should be ready to run." Alara winced and asked

"Should I leave?" Green held up a hand and whispered

"Give it a second. I'll try and signal for you if you should run, but otherwise let's see where this goes." She went over to help A up.

"Sorry," she said, "are you alright?" A grumbled

"A bit irritated, but I've felt worse." He turned to Ixion and told him

"You're pulling your blows too much." Green then received a mental message from Alara.

_"Make him focus on you right now."_ Green tried thinking quickly, then said

"Sorry, I just wanted to talk for a bit." A frowned and asked

"What about?" Green fidgeted nervously, then replied

"Well, I was curious where you found all your pokemon. I mean, you have so many I haven't met yet, and I was curious." A frowned and asked

"What's the catch here? You're planning something, and she's in on it, isn't she?" he asked, motioning to Alara. Green heard her say in her head

_"Better start denying it. Don't lose him."_ Green held up her hands defensively and told A

"No, I mean it. After all, you said I might be battling with some of them, but doesn't that work better when both the pokemon and trainer are more or less in sync?" A smacked his forehead and said

"Damn it, I forgot about that. Alright then, let's get a move-on. Alara, you want to join in?" Alara shook her head and said

"No, I should be heading home right now. I need something to eat and I'm going to visit Rick." She then said to Green mentally

_"Remember what I told you. Also, if anything just contact me mentally. I set up a link."_

A and Green nodded and waved goodbye as Alara teleported away. Then A began to lead her through the throng of his den, or at least the den that only he and his pokemon inhabited thus far, better acquainting her with his pokemon. Along the way, she worked out what to say and finally began her work.

"You have a lot of strong pokemon." A shrugged and replied

"Years of training and trust. Really helps." Green giggled and said

"Yeah, but you know what they say about strong pokemon; their trainers are equally strong." A chuckled and responded

"Well, I won't exactly argue with that. But it was really my friends who were doing the fighting. I just called out the moves." One of the pokemon, in passing, said

"Yeah, and you made pretty damn good predictions about what moves would work where." A didn't respond, and Green asked

"Any reason why you collected all the pokemon as your team?" A shrugged again and said

"It was when Oak asked me to finish the National Pokedex. I did so, making many friends along the way. They all stuck around with me, and it's been that way ever since." Green then asked

"What did your family think about it? Did you ever speak to them?" A was beginning to get suspicious now, but he answered

"Yeah, I spoke to them while I worked. I did that often along my travels." Green looked up at him and asked

"Are you sure? Because from what I can tell, you almost never spoke with your family." A scowled, then threw his hands up and said

"All right, fine! I barely spoke to anybody! I'm a social outcast! Are you happy?" Green flinched but said

"No, but why can't you just tell me the truth?" A sighed and replied

"Because no one has ever cared about what I think or how I feel. My pokemon cared about me, but they never questioned me; my beliefs, my actions, my feelings. And while most trainers would prefer it that way, I think it's more beneficial to have partners who can think for themselves." Green thought it over, then said

"While we're on the subject of telling the truth, tell me this; do you miss your family?" A looked at her askance, replying

"Of course I do. Why would you ask such a thing?" Green smiled and said

"Had to be sure you were telling the truth. Now answer this; if you had a chance, would you like to have a family of your own?" A stopped in mid-step, then faced her and grinned devilishly.

"So that's your game, huh? Well, why would you be interested in that? There's no logical reason to ask me." Green was flustered and her train of thought was quickly derailing. She spluttered out

"Well… I just thought that- what I mean is-"

"What's wrong? Can't answer?" A asked teasingly. Green blushed, and A said quietly

"Well, to answer your question, yes, I would. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back to sparring." Before Green could protest, A teleported away. Green heaved a big sigh, then sat on a nearby rock, saying to herself

"That was horrible! How did he catch on so quickly? Was I too obvious? Or does his paranoia act upon him like a sixth sense?" She shook her head, embarrassed at her pitiful attempts to get A to open up more. If anything, she had probably closed him up. She soon got back up and started walking back to the mansion, telling herself

"Well, I guess I'll have to find a different tactic to use, but I'm not going to give up on him."

**Whoo, another good, long chapter in. So, what do you all think? Please tell me soon. Remember, the forum is up there for those of you who want to ask either galladefenrir44 or I any questions you may have. Once again, just keep them appropriate. Thank you.**


	43. Ch 43: Suspicious Minds

**Hey everybody, I'm at it again. Lol. Now then, this chapter will contain some funny, some strange, and some tense elements. However, it's up to you to decipher them all. Remember, the forum to ask me questions about A Deal With A God is up, so get yours answered. Story Spotlight; **_**Family Matters**_**, by nyislandersgirl. Ratings; 1st) United States 2nd) United Kingdom 3rd) Canada 4th) Australia 5th) Germany.**

A and Green were hanging out in the twenty-second den, Green watching as A battled several of his pokemon personally, predominantly the human-shaped ones. He battled so often to hone his technique, as well as be able to battle various styles and counter each one, which he believed would grant him victory in all his future battles.

While Green couldn't particularly deny that, she was also stridently against boasting, which for Michael, as she called him by his name, was a case of preaching to the choir. Regardless, she watched as he fought, entranced by his movements. Was it wrong to watch the one she was attracted to? Hardly. However, he was at this point suspicious of her, and she still didn't quite see how he had picked up on her attempts to flirt.

"_Perhaps I was being too obvious" _she thought to herself.

After an hour and a half of watching, when he paused to take a break, Green walked up to him and asked

"Michael?" He was preoccupied wiping the grime off of his person, but grunted to acknowledge he was listening.

"I've been thinking we should see Alara. It's been a while, and I'm worried about her." A finished and responded

"We saw her just a week ago." Green's mouth twisted and she replied

"A lot can happen within a week, you know. I just get the feeling we should be there for her. After all, it's thanks to her fiancée's hospitality that you have this place to live, right?" A thought about it for a moment, then responded

"Okay, but how does visiting Alara connect to that?"

"Well, while Rick is out of commission, Alara has to assume all the responsibilities he possessed. That can't be easy for her. Think of it like this; if you fell into a coma yourself, and Arceus asked me to take over your position, do you think I could do it as well as you?" A hesitated strongly, and Green said

"You don't have to worry about offending me. I'm a grown woman, you know." A chuckled a bit, then said resignedly

"Well, you don't possess the training I've had, so no, I don't think you could." Green smirked and said

"Well, it's the same thing for Alara." A sighed and said

"You've made your point. Just let me take a bath, and we'll get going." He teleported inside the mansion, and Green took it upon herself to check out his pokemon that he had battled. They all claimed they were fine, if a bit sore. Their master was incredibly tough, but under that iron shell, he really had a soft spot. He just didn't often show it.

When A was at last presentable, he teleported them to the top den of the Sanctuary, the only den that was truly open to the sky. A looked around and breathed deeply, saying

"Today feels like a good day. I guess we should check the hospital first." Green looked at him in confusion and asked

"Why?" A huffed and replied

"She's fallen into an unfortunate habit of visiting Rick and staying too long. I've had to chase her out more than once, only to come back and find she defied me anyway." Green giggled and said

"That's part of a woman's job; to worry about their man." A rolled his eyes and teleported them to the hospital. The doctor in charge of Rick told them that Alara had visited earlier but left a while ago. Next A teleported them to Rick's house where, to the best of his knowledge, Alara was living. He knocked on the door, and after a moment, Alara shouted down to them

"Come in, it's open. I'm on the balcony." A and Green walked in and searched around until they found her, at which point Green said

"Hello Alara! How are you doing?" Alara smiled at the sight of the two and said

"I'm alright. Just here thinking. You guys are the fifth set of visitors I get today." A grinned and responded

"Then it sounds like you're being kept busy." Alara shrugged and told him

"Well a little. It was mainly family and our friends. However, they didn't stay long. The only person that stayed was Maiyu, but she's taking a nap upstairs. Bless her little heart she doesn't know about Rick's condition, but she doesn't want me to be alone in the house. For that reason she's been visiting and staying often. However, I've been alone for three hours now." A frowned and asked

"What have you told her? And how have you been spending your time alone?" Alara answered his question.

"I just told her that Rick was sent on a mission and won't be back for a while." She then answered his other question.

"Also, I've just been here thinking. I've had a lot of time to think about certain things. I can't say that Maiyu hasn't seen me cry, but she still believes my story." A nodded his approval at her answer, then asked

"Do you need any help with anything?" Alara shook her head and replied

"No. I'm quite alright on my own. It's been almost two weeks and Rick hasn't woken up. So I've had to learn a little on how to live on my own. It's different, but I'm managing. Maiyu is really missing him though. When she's here she wants me to sing her the lullaby that Rick used to sing to his sister, which she apparently likes. However, Rick never taught it to me." A winced in sympathy and said

"That does make things difficult. I wasn't aware Rick had a sister, though." Alara sighed.

"Yes, he _had_ a sister. Her name was Harmony. She's the true reason why he hates Team Rocket with a burning passion. Team Rocket killed her when she was four, which makes Rick seven. Rick never really got over her death very well. By what I hear, they were closer than any siblings I have ever heard of or seen. Rick used to protect her day and night and she used to rely on him more than their own parents. After Team Rocket killed his parents, they separated him and his sister. Rick got the news a few days later that his sister was dead. Team Rocket killed her during their experimentations and Rick vowed to destroy them."

A's eyes became downcast as he thought of Jovi, and he said

"I know what it's like to lose your family."

"I know. I can sense it coming from you." Alara sat down on a chair and sighed, telling them

"Things have been pretty hard on me. I can barely sleep and barely eat." Green looked at A with both concern and triumph in her eyes, and A rolled his, responding

"That's very bad for your health. I can understand where you're coming from- believe me, I do- but allowing yourself to live like that will only cause you harm."

"I've just been so busy lately. What with the Warlord duties, running the army, meetings with the Council and Pokemon leaders, managing the house, caring for Maiyu, and protecting the Sanctuary. I haven't had the time for anything. I don't know how Rick could do all this." A hesitated, then asked seriously

"Are you sure you don't want any help?" Alara shook her head and replied

"I have to learn to do this alone." She then began to laugh weakly. "Oh Arceus, I'm sounding just like the old Rick."

A shook his head and grinned, asking

"And what does that teach you?" Alara answered tiredly

"That I need Rick back, the Council is a group of assholes when it comes to changes in routine, there's no such thing as a permanent record, this city needs more protection than I thought, and that I need to rest more often." A laughed and said

"Well, that's not quite what I was getting at, but I suppose it's good to have an answer, regardless of what it may be." He sobered up and told her

"What I'm saying is that you shouldn't force yourself into this situation. I'm going to sound like a hypocrite because I often disregard this myself, but please consider the wisdom in my words; you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help, whether you think you need it or not." Alara raised an eyebrow and asked

"So I should just rest? What on earth can I ask you and the others to do?" A thought for a second, then told her

"Well, I can help protect the Sanctuary. That was one of my priorities anyway. Jean could probably help you command the army. And I'm sure any one of us would be more than happy to help with Maiyu. You're not as alone as you would make yourself." Alara nodded

"Well, I guess that works. Thanks for the help. I'm just trying to figure out how Rick could handle all of this. Any normal person would crack under all the pressure." A laughed and responded

"There's your answer; Rick is abnormal. I know this to be true, because we have largely had the same experiences, and even exhibit similar behavior. So in that sense, I'm abnormal, and that's not a bad thing. You're not as accustomed to a life of hardship that Rick has experienced, so as a result what seems manageable to him is difficult for someone else." Alara laughed with him and said

"Well, that's true. However, I love his abnormal self." Alara got up and asked them

"May I get you two anything? A drink? Some food?"

A waved a hand and answered

"Oh, you don't have to bother yourself. We won't be imposing on you much longer." Alara seemed disappointed.

"Aww you're leaving already?" A was slightly surprised and said hesitantly

"Well, not if you don't want us to." Alara sighed and told him

"Well if you must go then go ahead. I should take advantage of the fact that Maiyu is asleep so I can eat something." Suddenly Alara sensed something and looked back inside the house and saw Maiyu yawning and walking to her. Maiyu said to Alara

"Alara, I had a nightmare." Alara walked over to her and picked her up. She cradled her and said

"It's just a dream Maiyu. What did you dream?"

"I dreamed that something terrible happened to Aeru. I want to talk to him."

"I'm sorry Maiyu, but he can't call until his mission is over." A added

"It's top secret and maximum stealth. We're not sure when he'll get back, but when he does, there will probably be a lot of rejoicing. But until then, all we can do is wait." Maiyu cried and said obstinately

"But I want to know that he's okay." A gave Alara a helpless look, then told her

"Well, as far as I know, we would get word if anything happened. Since we haven't, I think it's safe to say he's fine." Maiyu frowned and asked

"But what if it happened just now?"

A shrugged and raised his hands in a helpless gesture, then responded

"What can I say? We're doing the best with what we've got. If anything happens, we'll know about it."

"Are you sure?" A replied by nodding. Alara cradled Maiyu and said to her

"Go play with your toys. I have to talk with A and Green." Alara put Maiyu on the ground and she went walking back inside. Alara looked at A and Green and said

"I don't know how long I have to keep this up." A hesitated, then asked

"Do you want me to watch over her for a while?"

"Well you'll have to talk to her parents about that. I don't mind it though." A frowned and asked

"Why do her parents allow her to be here, considering what you're going through right now? Or are they even aware of it?" Alara nodded and replied

"They know. They think she can help me with my loneliness." A nodded and asked

"Alright then, do you just want us to hang around and help?"

"Yeah. If you can, please go to the gate and get a progress report for me. That will save me the trouble of traveling there."

"Sure thing!" A teleported to the front of the Sanctuary, leaving Green behind with Alara. When he arrived to his destination, he looked around the contingent of guards. He approached the one that seemed highest in status and said

"I'm here to pick up a report for Lady Alara." The guard raised a suspicious eyebrow at him and asked

"How do I know you speak the truth?" A nodded approvingly at the guard's apprehension to immediately trust others, especially one who looked as strange as himself. Then he responded

"Look into my mind and tell me if I lie." The guard appeared wary, but he grasped A's mind with his own, looking at his most recent memories to confirm or deny what A had told him. When he pulled out, the guard nodded to him and said

"Alright, follow me." A did so, the guard telling him

"Nothing of note has happened yet. The walls remain strong, our forces undiminished, and in general everything has been peaceful." A nodded again and said

"Is that all?" The guard frowned and replied

"Not quite. We've had some strange packages arrive to our doorstep recently. It seems they were a bit rushed in coming here." A frowned and requested

"May I see these packages so I can give a better detailed report?" The guard hesitated, then nodded and replied

"I suppose, but I doubt you'll get anything more out of it than we have." A followed the guard through a maze of halls, stopping in front of a door that was labeled "storage". The guard fished out some keys and unlocked it, allowing A to step inside as he flicked on a light. A saw ten wooden boxes that were bigger than him, all with the word "Fragile" written on the side. A was confused; he turned to the guard and asked

"Do you know what's in them?" The guard shook his head and replied

"No, we have orders not to open unspecified packages unless told otherwise. It could easily be a shipment of sorts, but as far as I know, we're not down on our supplies, and the next shipment isn't due for another three days." A frowned now and asked

"Have you considered the possibility of it being some form of guerilla warfare? After all, Team Rocket _is _rather sneaky in that manner." The guard frowned in return and replied

"We'd have sensed if it was a bomb. Other than that, I doubt it's anything of the sort." A's frown didn't dissipate, however, and he told the guard

"Well, I'll inform Alara about this, but I don't like it. I suppose it could just be something she ordered, but I would have to ask her myself. I suppose I might see you in a bit with orders how to proceed." The guard eyed him warily and asked

"Hers or yours?" A chuckled at his perception and replied

"If it's something she ordered, hers. If it's not, mine." The guard frowned and retorted

"Why should I listen to you? You hold no authority." A narrowed his eyes and replied

"Perhaps not in your society, but when it comes to the protection of pokemon, I am the final word. Since this might be the case, my authority, bestowed upon me by Arceus, trumps any other but Arceus himself. Do I make myself clear?" The guard narrowed his eyes, in both suspicion and hatred. A sighed and said

"Look, if it's just something Lady Alara ordered, I'll give you a heart-felt apology. If it's not, then your society will be much safer with my authority protecting it." The guard hesitated, then nodded, responding

"Fine, but if this is just an innocent trifle, I will personally hold you to your apology." A nodded his understanding and teleported back to Rick's manor, where he heard Green laughing loudly. Curious, he walked in just as she said to Alara

"That would be something to see!" A walked forward and asked

"What exactly are you talking about?" Green's face paled and her mouth hung open, unable to say anything. Alara couldn't help but laugh at Green's shocked and scared expression.

"Oh nothing. Female chat."

A narrowed his eyes suspiciously, then shrugged and said

"Whatever. Anyway, not much to report, other than some packages coming in." Alara arched an eyebrow and asked

"Packages? What kind of packages?" A shrugged and replied

"I don't know. I thought you ordered them." Alara shook her head

"I haven't ordered anything."

A's paranoia kicked in and he started pacing, saying

"Then precautions need to be taken. We'll secure one, enact measures of safety, then move it away from the Sanctuary. The others will be placed in another secure location until the generality of their contents is discovered." Alara asked

"How long would that take?" A narrowed his eyes and replied

"It could be a very lengthy process, given that we don't know the nature of the contents. It could easily be a method to kill us activated only by opening the boxes. It might prove to be a bomb, or gases... the possibilities are endless." Alara sweatdropped and said

"Maybe you're over thinking this." A shook his head ostensibly, saying

"First rule of warfare; never doubt anything the enemy has the potential to do. If we underestimate them, we'll surely meet our doom."

"But they don't know about the Sanctuary" Alara argued. A faced her and demanded

"Where's your proof? Do you have access to top secret Team Rocket records? Because if not, we should assume the worst and make preparations for that outcome." Alara nodded and told him

"Tsu Lieng has access to their records. She took the clearance the day we met you." A nodded, his eyes still narrowed.

"Okay then, get in contact with her and see if Team Rocket has any shipping records within the region in the past week. Then that will help clear this matter up somewhat." Alara nodded and said

"I will in the morning. Right now I need to ask you something; do you want me to do anything for you? You know so you can relax for a bit. You seem very stressed out." A laughed and said

"That's my line! I'm the guardian of pokemon here, so don't worry yourself about me. I've got things under control. I'll just need to back-check any shipping records you find and compare them to my own scout's reports. Then we can devise a strategy that best counters Team Rocket." Alara sighed

"Alright. As I said I will call Tsu in the morning for the records. Also, have your pokemon scouts told you anything yet?" A shook his head and replied

"Nothing so far, but that's really good news. Still, it won't do to become complacent." Alara frowned and said

"It's nothing to become paranoid for." A barked harshly in laughter and replied

"Don't mock me! It was because of my paranoia that I was able to survive for so long. And now you expect me to give it up? I think not." Alara looked at him with a serious face and said

"I wasn't mocking you. You were given another chance at life. Don't waste it." A's eyes narrowed further and he said

"I'm not wasting it. I'm spending it trying to protect those under my charge. And to do that, I have to take every detail into account, even the crazy-sounding ones." Alara sighed and shook her head

"Alright, whatever you think is best. I won't speak of it again. Just do what you have to do with the packages at the moment." A nodded and teleported again, intending to get the matter settled as soon as possible. He reappeared near the guard he had confronted before, who grunted and asked somewhat smugly

"So, whose orders am I following?" A turned a dark gaze on him, making the commander briefly gulp nervously as A responded

"Mine. Alara hasn't made any orders, and since we don't know where these packages come from, I have to assume they come from the enemy with the intent to destroy us somehow. If it is a bomb, then it must be able to fall under your senses, and chances are the trigger is the removal of the lid. Therefore, I want these boxes to be moved out of the Sanctuary." The guard hesitated, then nodded once and asked

"Where are we to take them?" A thought for a moment, then asked

"Is there a cave or some sort of underground system about one to two hundred feet away?" The guard thought for a second, then replied

"Yes, but why so close? I thought you wanted them away from the Sanctuary." A nodded and said

"I do, but in the event of the worst, I don't want to put other pokemon at risk. Therefore, we must evacuate the immediate area. If possible, offer them shelter in the Sanctuary until I'm finished examining the contents of these potentially lethal objects." The guard nodded again and asked

"Who will oversee the project of moving and opening the crates?" A replied

"I will. If nothing else, I will go down in the line of my duty. I won't let anyone else put themselves in harm's way where it is my job to protect them. Am I understood?" The guard saluted and said

"Sir!" He hesitated for a moment, then asked

"One more question, sir. Are you going to personally move the crates yourself? If so, what do you need from us?" A nodded and told him

"Yes, I'll be moving the crates. What I need is a clear, direct path from here, through the gates, and finally until the secure location. I don't want anybody to bother me along the way. Understand?" The guard nodded one last time and walked away, beginning to shout out his orders. A looked back at the mysterious boxes and thought

"_Is this the first true test of my power? Of the duty I willingly shouldered? Because if so, I shall not disappoint."_ When the guards were assembled in the manner A wanted, he picked up the first of the three boxes with his psychic powers, not wanting to take any chances whatsoever, carrying it slowly out the door and down the procession of guards. They all eyed the box he handled warily, understanding it was at this point a potentially lethal weapon.

A walked down slowly, keeping his ears acutely aware for any out of the ordinary noises or dangerous sounds. In the event that happened, he would instantly teleport away, taking the box with him and hopefully the danger.

The whole process, however, went smoothly. Within half an hour, A had all the boxes safely in the small cave system which had fortunately been empty. A gave his orders for a small contingent to be posted until such time as he was ready to fully address them himself. He also ordered that no one enter the cave. With his mission partly completed, he decided to update Alara.

When A teleported in, Green asked

"So, what are we dealing with?" A shook his head and replied

"I haven't checked yet. I'm making sure the utmost precaution is taken for the worst case scenario." Alara nodded and said

"Very well. So we should wait for morning to get news." A nodded and replied

"And we'll solve this mystery once and for all." He looked at Green and Alara and asked

"Something wrong? You look like you found something disturbing. Especially you, Green." Alara shook her head

"Nothing is wrong. We're just curious about what could be in those packages." A grunted and sat down, replying

"I am too, but until I'm sure everything is safe, I don't want to take any chances."

"So are you two going to hang around for a little while longer or are you heading home?"

A thought for a moment, then said

"I should get going. I'm going to receive another report soon, and I need to compile all of that. But I can't speak for Green." She looked at Alara and asked

"Do you mind if I stay here for a while?"

Alara shook her head and replied

"Not at all. Stay if you want. Will A allow it though?"

A shrugged and said

"I'm protective, not controlling. Unless she's putting herself in direct danger, I won't tell her what she can or can't do. I guess I'll see you later then." He teleported back to the twenty-second den. Once there, he called out

"Rose! Scott!" Rose teleported to him, while Scott flew down. He looked at both of them and nodded, saying

"You know what to do." They both nodded, and Rose grabbed Scott's hand, teleporting them out into the region. When they returned a half hour later, A raised his eyebrows, to which Rose said

"Everyone is accounted for. Team Rocket has made no movements, and nothing has been shipped in or out." A placed a hand to his chin in thought, muttering

"That's weird…" He shook his head and looked back at the two, saying

"Thank you." They nodded and went their separate ways. A made his way back to his mansion, thinking about this development.

**The Next Day…**

This day was just like any other in the twenty-second den, with the exception of A's mind being in turmoil about the strange boxes. He wanted to make sure all was safe before he took the risk of opening them, if indeed he survived the first one. He was about to start on his morning training, when Alara's voice interrupted him on his communicator.

"A! He's awake!"

As soon as he got the news, A teleported to the hospital, then rushed in and flew past the front desk, bursting into the room. As soon as he saw Rick alive and well, he shouted

"Hot damn, I knew you'd pull through!" Then he was roughly pulled out by a pissed nurse who began to shout at him. Rick and Alara sweatdropped and Alara called out

"Umm nurse, it's okay. He's with us. You can scold him later."

A was tossed in, crashing onto the floor. He stood up and brushed himself off, then stuck his tongue at the nurse who had already left. Then he turned back to Rick and said

"So, Sleeping Beauty, how ya feelin'?" Rick tried to sit up, but his wounds stopped him

"Like I got in a fight with Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers, but other than that I'm alive. Seriously, how long was I out?" A's smirk faded and he replied

"About two weeks. Alara was at your side pretty much the whole time, except whenever I managed to chase her out." Rick was surprised.

"How did you manage to do that? Also, I see that you're learning to hold the human form." A smirked again and replied

"I kept telling her that everything must be taken in moderation, and that includes hospital visits. Her father and I both worried that she might become incumbent if she stayed for too long, so I managed to get diplomatic and convince her to get outside every now and then. Though sometimes I had to make sure she didn't immediately come right back. I think I can leave that up to you now."

"Wow...how did Maiyu take the news?"

"We... didn't exactly tell her. I thought the information would have been too damaging for her, at least until she saw that you were awake and not under threat of dying immediately. Call me what you will, but for the psychological protection of a pokemon, I exercised my power." Rick nodded and said

"Well I guess it's for the best, but what did you tell her I was doing for the last two weeks?"

A sweatdropped, then rubbed his head nervously and said

"Uh, I told her you were on a stealth mission, and you would let her know when you'd be back. I couldn't come up with an explanation for the scars, though."

Rick chuckled, "Oh give the scars about two days. Then they'll heal." Rick then thought of something.

"Wait, who's been doing my job while I was out cold?" Alara answered

"Me and my dad. We decided to do it together until you got back on your feet."

"Well that answers that. Anyways, so what did I miss? I'm guessing nothing really." A nodded and said

"Pretty much. The most important news so far is that Team Rocket hasn't made any other moves since they assaulted you, which really surprises me. I figured they'd be going all over the place now that they think you're dead. Which you nearly were." A hesitated, then said

"I've been making scouting patrols over the past two weeks. I hope you don't mind. I consulted the Chief and Alara first, and we agreed that it would be best to know about any moves made by Team Rocket from multiple sources." Rick staggered to sit upright and said

"Good call! Just because I'm gone doesn't mean that my work has to stop or be delayed. Did you learn of anything?" Alara was concerned and made Rick lay back down

"Dear, you're in no condition to sit up yet." When Rick laid back down, A relayed

"So far, nothing of importance has occurred in the sense of movements against anyone or anything. However, some of my personal scouts have seen some strange packages coming in."

"Packages? Of what nature?"

A shook his head and replied

"I'm not sure yet. I ordered them not to interfere yet, or else we might tip them off that we're still fighting, which could raise suspicion. I figured a lay-low strategy would be best for now while we kept covert eyes on them. Lure them into a false sense of security, if you will. I planned to go myself and secure and bring back one of these packages. Because of the unpredictability of what they're importing, however, I won't bring it into the Sanctuary." Alara's Poketch then began to ring, she answered it and noticed that it was Mr. Silph.

"Hello? Mr. Silph?" Mr. Silph replied

"Yes, hello Alara. How are you?"

"I'm great!"

"Good to hear, but let me get to the point of my call. Have you received my packages yet?" Everyone in the room sweatdropped, and Alara replied

"I believe so. How many have you sent?"

"Well my associates sent many. Enough for an entire army."

"Then yes, we have received them."

"Wonderful! Now for something I want to know and I'm sorry for asking you this all the time, but how is Rick?" Alara's voice grew more cheerful, and she said excitedly

"Well I have some good news for you sir. He's awake!" Mr. Silph's voice grew joyful, and he replied

"Really!? That's amazing news. However, I'll call him at another time. For now, he needs his rest...which is kind of ironic since he's been asleep for two weeks now. Anyways, I will speak to you two at a later date. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye sir!" She hung up and said

"Mystery solved. It's the Aura Readers." A was stunned, then scoffed and said

"So much for that plan. But at least I get my Aura Reader back. Well, I guess all that's left is to keep up the scouts trips. I'll let you know if anything else comes up." Rick chuckled and said

"Well alright. Well I better get up and head straight to work." He tried to get up and Alara punched him back down. Alara sighed and told him

"Dear, I know you've been out for two weeks, but the doctor said that you are not to leave your bed for a few more days."

"But I'm supposed to be working."

"Doc also said that you can go home with me when you wake up, but you can't stand up and walk until she says so. So you have a lot more time with me to make up for the two weeks. You can work from home though."

"I'm going to miss my office, but at least I get to be home."

"I can even invite Maiyu, as long as you don't show her your scars." A sweatdropped and remarked

"I think his stay will be extended if you do that again Alara. You don't hit the interned." Alara rubbed her arm and laughed nervously

"Oops. I kinda didn't think of that." Rick was suddenly curious.

"A, how has Green been?" A focused his attention back on Rick and replied

"More demanding recently. She's been insisting that I take more of a relaxed stance. Don't know where she'd get a crazy idea like that."

"Training her or are you just overworking yourself?" A shrugged and said

"Both. Neither. I don't know." Rick and Alara looked at one another and smiled before looking back at A

"Maybe you should go on a little dinner date with her. I can set it up." A hesitated, then asked

"Is that necessary? What will that accomplish?"

"Just something from me to you. Why? Nervous?" A shook his head and reiterated

"No, no, no, I mean what purpose would it serve? What tactical advantage do I gain by it?" Rick chuckled and told him

"Not everything has to be about work, compromise, and tactics. At times it's good to have a life and spend time with those you love. So should go on this little dinner for you and Green. Also, I expect you to be in your human form." A frowned and stated

"I've never been much of a fun-loving person, and cutting back is kind of a foreign concept to me. If you expect me to keep my human form, it can't go on for too long. I still can't hold it past a couple of hours."

"You only need at least two hours. Ally, please give A a list of restaurants he can attend." Alara nodded and typed something on her Poketch. A few seconds later a soldier arrived with a sheet a paper with restaurant names on them. Alara then said to A

"Alright, these are the restaurants I recommend. Let's say you and Green having a nice little date tonight at eight?" A looked over the names, then asked

"All of them have vegetarian selections, right?" Alara nodded

"Of course! We know how you are. Each restaurant is vegetarian in nature or has a vegetarian selection. Also, do you need a suit for tonight?" A thought back, then asked

"Would the ceremonial suit you sent me before suffice?"

"Sure, why not? I take it she has a dress for herself already, since you took her shopping...wait, no. Send her to my house in an hour." A was confused, but shrugged and said

"Alright. She'll be there." A disappeared, going back to his den and avoiding the scolding by the doctor.

A couple of hours later saw A and Green in a fine restaurant, A in the suit he had worn at Rick's inauguration as Warlord. Green, on the other hand, was dressed beautifully in a long-cut dress of forest and emerald green, her hair also done up in a fashion that A couldn't describe as anything other than breathtaking. They had already placed their orders (vegetarian, of course) and were beginning to eat. At her request, A began to tell her the story of Unova, of his legacy as Black.

"So, this weird guy named Ghetsis comes out, and he starts talkin' about pokemon liberation, how trainers are unfair to our pokemon comrades by keeping them locked up. At the time, no one could take him seriously, not least because he was dressed so ridiculously." Soon their meals arrived, both vegetarian, and they began to eat, though A kept telling his story between bites and swallows. Outside four black vans pulled up, and inside was Rick's team members watching the date via security cameras.  
Jean picked up a walkie-talkie and contacted Dartz.

"Black Fox, this is Kentucky Fried Chicken. What's your status? Over!" Jean received a reply from Dartz.

"First of all, our names are shorter and we don't need to be incognito. Two, we're parked on the other end of the restaurant. We have visual on our human friends. Over."

"Great! Keep them in your sights! Over." Green was oblivious, but A's paranoia immediately perked up. However, he focused on the date and shoved it aside.

"After Ghetsis had made his speech, this weird, green-haired guy walks up and says he can hear my pokemon in their pokeballs. He wanted to battle me and figure out how I treated them. We battle, I win, he loses, and he says that I would be a good candidate to preach alongside him for pokemon rights. I declined though, because while I believed pokemon had rights, I also had my suspicions about this character and his apparent relationship with Ghetsis, who I didn't trust from the beginning."

His paranoia was really beginning to irritate him now, but he shoved it back down and took another bite of his food. Dartz said through the walkie-talkie

"Uh-oh! He's getting suspicious. Over! You know what, screw saying 'over' after every communication."  
Jean replied

"I have been preparing for this moment. Everyone hit your active camouflage buttons." Everyone hit their active camouflage buttons and their vans changed their appearances. Jean's van turned into an ice cream truck, Dartz's van turned into the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo, one of the vans turned into a clown van, and the last one turned into a van that said 'No drugs here'.

Dartz contacted Jean angrily, "Why am I in the Mystery Machine? Also, this is not inconspicuous."

"Hey, my budget was tight." A's face tightened and he rose from the table, telling Green

"Excuse me." He disappeared and reappeared next to the van that said "No drugs here". He shook his head and said

"This is just pathetic." With that, he promptly flipped it on its side, then did the same to the other remaining vans he knew weren't there when he arrived. He smirked after observing his handiwork, then brushed his hands together and went back inside, taking his seat and asking

"Now, where were we?" Outside, Dartz crawled out of his van with the others following out. He then said in a dazed voice

"Jinkies…" Jean then complained loudly

"Every time! Switch to plan B people. Go get disguised and get your instruments." A few of the team members then disappeared and reappeared disguised and having their instruments on hand. The others flipped the vans back upright and re-entered them. The band members went inside the restaurant and set their equipment up and began to play, while paying attention to A and Green. A looked at the band suspiciously, while Green said

"Oh, that was very nice of you to order in some music, Michael." A's eyes narrowed further, and he said musingly

"Yeah..." Seras warned the team via ear communicators

"He's getting suspicious again. Quick, switch to Nirvana." The band then began to play Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. A looked outside and saw the vans he flipped over were upright again. He growled inwardly and thought

"Persistent bunch, but they'll learn not to mess with me." Seras contacted the team and said urgently

"Uh-oh! Cover Blown! COVER BLOWN!" Jean got the message and said

"Well thanks for your time people! We're out!" They quickly packed everything out and jumped into the vans and hauled ass out of there. A smirked when he heard the sound of peeling rubber, and Green looked over her shoulder in question. While she was distracted, A looked at the band and caught the movements of a certain pink-haired woman, her hand lowering from her ear. A smirked, then lay a hand on Savior and drew upon his psychic powers, contacting her telekinetically.

_"I know you and your friends were spying on me, but you all have to get up pretty early to get by me. And by that I really mean stay up for a week. Since Green is enjoying the music, I won't get rid of you. But you will not say anything of this to your cohorts, and you better not disappoint with your playing. Understand?"_

_"I understand, but we're getting out of here for now. We're going to visit Rick." _A smirked again and responded

_"Work on your disguises. That was really actually kind of painful to watch." _He snickered to himself, then continued eating. At the end of the date, he and Green returned to the twenty-second den in high spirits, especially A. He loved thwarting anything that worked against him, so he considered tonight a veritable success. He had also been delighted to learn that Alara insisted Green keep the dress she had worn for their date, and as A had to admit it was nothing less than stunning, especially on her, he agreed amiably. The two separated for their rooms, A rather reluctantly, and unknown to him, Green as well.

**Ha ha ha! Jean can't even spy on the date of a measly human! Oh, I had fun writing this one out, so tell me what you think of it real soon.**


	44. Ch 44: A Devious Mind

**Alright, I've decided to change this up a bit, because originally it was a tale of woe where one wasn't fully written. I'm still in trouble, but I'm not automatically screwed. Instead, I have to wait out my punishment. Be that as it may, I still will write my story. So, with peace in mind, today's Story Spotlight goes to galladefenrir44's **_**The Blade and The Embrace**_**. I might have mentioned it on this story before, but he's a damn good friend who was there for me, so he gets extra spotlight. The ratings are as follows; 1st) United States 2nd) Singapore 3rd) Canada 4th) Australia 5th) Philippines. Thank you all for your wonderful patience and devotion.**

A woke up in his room, feeling remarkably relaxed as of late, and yet there was also a knot of anticipation.

Thus far, he had yet to encounter any shadow pokemon, which worried him greatly. If Cipher was indeed making a contribution, why weren't they sending those threats out to the front lines? Cipher already knew the power and threat they posed, and by this time Team Rocket should be well informed, too. Why, then, did they delay? Did they believe they had secured victory with Rick's supposed death? Or perhaps they were being saved for something much larger.

Whatever the case, A swore he wasn't going to be unprepared this time around. So he leapt out of bed and practically ran to the kitchen. He bolted down a quick breakfast and immediately went outside. Though the morning was still early, he felt he had wasted much time in his pondering and eating.

He transformed back into a human, and thence to Battle Form. He raised Savior high into the air, the rising sun glinting off Savior's honed edge, then immediately plunged it into the ground, sinking the diamond-shaped tip into the soil. He placed his palms down on the pommel, then began to focus his intent.

In time, he had a gathering of steel beneath his feet, and from them he formed massive plates, more like walls, really. He created six in total, and when he was satisfied with the dimensions, he pulled them up to the surface, smoothing the ground back over once that was complete. Then he transformed back to his regular human form and began to set the massive steel walls to suit his design, the large steel plates no heavier than a decent weight to him, which he reveled.

He set the first against the wall of the mansion, making sure it was secure. Next, he placed one under that, also lining up with the mansion but lying on the ground. He drew Savior and began to manipulate the steel to form interconnecting pieces, like a giant puzzle. He set up the last pieces, the roof being the most difficult part. Once he was finished with the main part of the task, he began to create shelves in the new addition to the house. Rick was arriving at the 22nd Den with Alara and Maiyu in tow. As he approached the manor he saw A constructing a crude addition to the manor.

Rick walked towards the manor and asked A

"What on earth are you doing?" A looked over and said

"Oh, hello Rick! I was just making an addition for when the shadow pokemon arrive. I don't know exactly when they'll get here, and I always say it's better to be safe than sorry. What can I do for you?"

"Well at first I was going to ask you for a favor, but it seems you have too much on you plate as is. So if you're too busy I can come back later." A thought for a second, then said

"That depends what you want to ask me to do. I pretty much have this figured out, but if you need me to address something, all you have to do is ask."

"Well I was just going to ask one little thing." Rick pointed to Maiyu, who was in Alara's arms, "I want to know if you can watch her for us. Only for a day or two. I asked her parents for permission. I want her to lose her phobia of humans and try to be more comfortable around you and Green. Her parents agreed. So will you do it?" A's face lit up and he said

"Sure! I don't mind, especially if it's to help a pokemon." A looked at Maiyu for a second, then asked

"Her parents have agreed, but has she? I won't force her to do something against her will." Rick chuckled and said

"Yeah, she agreed, but she's very scared. She's actually pretty surprised that you're a pokemon right now, but she's still a little nervous around you and terrified around Green." A smirked and said

"Nothing I can do about that. I wish that weren't the case, but it is what it is. Besides, these psychic powers come in pretty handy. I suppose we'll just have to work hard to help her overcome that fear. What do you say, Maiyu?" Maiyu tried to mouth the words to speak, but she was too nervous. Suddenly Green appeared, riding on Ixion. Maiyu jaw fell and she asked

"Is that a unicorn?" A laughed and told her

"No, that's my own Titan. Ixion, I want you to meet Maiyu." Ixion snorted much like a real horse and observed Maiyu with dark, hard eyes. Maiyu reached forward to try to pet Ixion's snout, but retracted it when Ixion snorted again. Rick chuckled and told her

"It's okay. He won't do anything to you. Treat him like you treat Avion. Avion is much more intimidating." Ixion then looked at Rick and transformed into its lion form, scaring Maiyu, and made her run away. Rick teleported and caught her, and then returned saying

"Maiyu, he's harmless. Don't be afraid." A laughed as well, then scolded Ixion.

"Ixion, you really scared her. I want you to apologize to her." Ixion nodded, then stepped a little closer to Maiyu. He bowed in a regal posture, keeping his eyes low. Maiyu then reached out and pet Ixion's mane. She began to warm up to him and almost retracted her hand when she heard him purr. Ixion then turned back into a horse and Green got off of him. Maiyu finally noticed Green and was frozen in place. Alara noticed and said

"Well look a little lively when you're going to greet someone Maiyu." A grinned and waited to see what would happen. Maiyu gulped and said

"Hello Ms. Green." Green smiled and responded

"Hello, Miss Maiyu! How are you?" Maiyu didn't reply. Rick shook his head and put Maiyu on Ixion's back. Rick said to A

"Let me warn you that she has a tendency to...manipulate things into awkward scenarios. However, they're all unintentional...for the most part." A cocked his head and asked

"How so? And what do you mean 'for the most part'?" Rick and Alara looked at one another and then Rick said to A

"Don't worry about it. Anyways, there are a few instructions that you need to follow if you are to take care of Maiyu." A nodded and said

"Let me hear 'em." Rick relayed the instructions to him.

"Maiyu is to take her vitamins for every meal. So make sure to give her one of these pills when she eats." He then handed A a large bottle of pills. "Maiyu needs to be in bed by 9 PM, no exceptions. However, she must take a bath before it. So please have Green or Rose give her a bath." A looked over the vitamins, then nodded and said

"Alright. Anything else I should be aware of?"

"Not really. Only that if she asks you any adult questions, do not answer." A grinned and replied

"Got it. Well, then, why don't we get you settled, Maiyu?" Maiyu slowly nodded and Rick and Alara kissed her goodbye. Rick then said to A

"Alright, she's in your care now. Make sure she's well taken care of." Rick handed A a list of phone numbers.

"These are some emergency numbers. Use them when you need to." Rick then told Maiyu

"Behave Maiyu." Rick and Alara then waved goodbye and walked away. A looked over the emergency numbers, about to place them in his pocket when he suddenly transformed back into a Gallade. His hand was positioned where his pocket would have been, and he hung his head and mumbled

"Rattattas" Maiyu was surprised and asked

"How long have you been a Gallade?" A chuckled darkly and replied

"A good couple of months now. Rick was able to give me the chance to transform back into a human, but every now and again I'm forced back into Gallade form. On a more positive note, what do you think? Certainly my coloring is off." Maiyu looked him over for a moment, then replied

"I say it's...interesting. Not a coloration we see every day. I mean, I've seen some that are weird. For example, my brother-in-law Rayu is red and white." A chuckled and said

"And I've seen a purple Gardevoir. At any rate, why don't we get your stuff in, then we can get started?" Maiyu gave A a thumbs up and lifted her bag with Confusion. She then asked A

"Do you know how to use Confusion yet?" A smirked and said

"Better. I can use Psychic. Why?"

"Because if you just got your powers, then you should have learned Confusion. You must have practiced a lot. I'm stuck on Confusion and I want to learn Psychic." A nodded and said

"I did practice a lot, and it was very taxing on both my mind and body." He turned and lifted a rock bigger than he was moving it in a circle before setting it back in its original spot.

"But well worth the effort." Maiyu scoffed and pouted

"I can only lift up pebbles and other kids. I wish I could lift boulders." A smiled at her and said

"That's not bad, you know. Just give yourself some time."

"But it's so frustrating. Aeru learned Psychic as a Kirlia, why can't I?"

"You can; you just need to apply yourself and never give up on it." Maiyu grumbled and then said

"Alright. Can you use Shadow Ball yet?"

"That, and Shadow Beam." Maiyu was confused.

"Shadow what?" A smirked and replied

"Recently I've been really getting into combining moves to produce new attacks with incredible results." He turned away and charged a Shadow Ball, then fired a Signal Beam through it.

"And that is Shadow Beam."

"You have way too much time on your hands." A laughed and said

"But at least I don't waste it. Besides," he grew somber "there will be plenty of work for me once I return to my proper time." Maiyu was once again confused.

"Return to your what now?" A laughed for a moment, then told her

"You might not believe me, but Green and I are very old. My proper place is actually eighty years in the future, but Arceus brought me here to aid Rick in the war effort."

"I think I've taken too many vitamins today. I'm hearing things." A held his mirth in and asked

"Like what?"

"You and Green being from the future." A chuckled and replied

"No, you're not hearing things. In actuality, I am about a hundred years old." Maiyu suddenly fainted on Ixion's back and Green said

"Well, you sure did it Michael." A laughed and said

"Oh, she'll be alright. Let's get her inside." They retrieved her from Ixion's back and went inside the mansion, where A laid her on the couch and sat at the end, waiting for her to revive. After ten minutes Maiyu woke up and looked around. She rubbed her head and remarked

"That was a weird dream." A smirked and replied

"It probably wasn't a dream, but don't go fainting on me again. You won't get the best out of your time here if all you do is faint." Maiyu shook her head and said

"I'm not going to ask, let's just get this over with. So what's first?" A looked at the clock, and upon seeing it was five, he said

"Why don't we go and grab some dinner?"

"Alright, are you cooking?" A thought for a second, then said

"Sure. You don't mind vegetarian selections, do you?"

"No." Maiyu then looked around and asked

"Where's Green?" A shrugged and said

"She might be outside with Ixion. Why don't we get dinner started and call her in when it's ready?"

Maiyu gave A a thumbs up and jumped onto his shoulder. She then asked

"What's on the menu?" A chuckled and replied

"A whole lotta plants. I think we can make something out of all the berries we have." He placed a silvery hand to his chin, then said

"Alright, I think a berry casserole sounds good for tonight. What do you think?" Maiyu shrugged and told him

"I'm okay with any you make really. I'm just hungry." A chuckled and said

"Alright then, let's get the show on the road." When they entered the kitchen, A raised his hand and directed it at the fridge. Using psychic he pulled out several varieties of berries and washed them, then chopped them up on a cutting board, set them in a dish, then placed it into the oven at a certain temperature, all without moving from the doorway. He examined the work done and nodded approvingly.

"I gotta admit; those Psychics have it made."

"To be honest, we don't use our powers in the house much. We mainly use then if we really need them. Most of the time we just use our hands and feet." A nodded and said

"Got it. Okay, all we have to do is wait for the casserole to be finished, and while that happens, why don't we set the table?" Maiyu jumped to the floor and shouted

"I got it!" A chuckled and handed her the plates and silverware. Maiyu then skipped over to the table and began to set it up. A watched her set the table, feeling a pang in that he sort of wanted children of his own. He thought his lineage would be quite a mighty group, especially if he led it, and as he was the last surviving Ryuto, he wanted to continue his bloodline. Maiyu suddenly teleported back to A's shoulder and said proudly

"Done!" He smiled at her and said

"Good job! Now all we do is wait for the casserole. Shouldn't take more than another fifteen or so minutes, so what should we do now?"

"It's your house. You choose." A chuckled and asked

"You play Go-Fish before?" Maiyu smiled and teleported a deck of cards to her hand.

"Yes!" A paused for a moment, then said

"I need to learn how to teleport items to my hands. Anyway, let's play!" The two played the game for a few minutes with Maiyu winning most of the games and causing A to wonder how she was getting all the right cards. Maiyu giggled at his frustration and asked him

"What's wrong? Am I too good at this for you?" A growled again and said

"I think you're cheating somehow." Maiyu giggled and asked

"Why would I want to cheat?" A rolled his eyes and said

"To win. Duh." Maiyu gave a wide smile and said

"Well, I have no need to win. I'm great at this game." A scoffed and said

"Clearly. Got any nines?"

"Yep! Here you go." She handed him the card, leaving her with one card.

"Got any Queens?" A smirked and said

"Go fish." Maiyu shrugged and picked up her card. When she looked at it, she grinned and flashed it, saying

"Got it! I win!" A threw his cards to the floor and shouted

"Oh, come on!"

"Lady Luck is on my side." A thought for a second, then said

"X, if you had anything to do with this, you will pay!"

"Mr. X isn't even here. I'm just lucky." A rolled his eyes and said sarcastically

"Yeah, I'll bet he's not here. Anyway, why don't we check on that casserole?" Maiyu nodded and teleported back onto A's shoulder. They walked into the kitchen and A took the casserole out with Psychic. Maiyu eyed it hungrily and asked

"When do we eat it?" A smiled and said

"After we get Green." They went to the door and called her in. Then they all went to the table and began to eat. Maiyu was ready to dig in, but asked A first

"So can I eat it now?" A chuckled and replied

"Of course! Dig in everybody!" Maiyu began to eat and then told A

"This is very good." A smiled back at her and said

"Good to hear." He looked at Green and smirked, saying

"Told you I could cook." Green simply rolled her eyes and ignored him. Maiyu then asked Green

"What? Did you not believe him?" Green snickered and said

"Well, he didn't prove to me that he was capable of it my first day here. But I have to admit, this is pretty decent." Maiyu giggled and said

"Uh-oh! I sense a challenge." A smirked and said

"Then you might want to get your senses checked. It wouldn't be so much a challenge as a beat-down." Maiyu laughed and then suddenly stopped

"Uh-oh! Where are my vitamins?" A stopped, then started concentrating hard. After a few moments, the bottle appeared in his palm.

"Well, that was easier than I thought." Then he handed the recommended dosage to Maiyu. Maiyu quickly took the vitamin and swallowed it down. She then said

"Good! I can't go without taking them." A nodded and vowed

"I won't allow my mind to slip like that again."

"Sorry for scaring you. I'm just afraid of not taking my vitamins. It's what keeps me healthy." A nodded and said

"No harm done. So, what do we do after dinner?"

"Have fun of course."

"How?"

"What do you mean by 'how'?"

"I mean how do you propose we have fun?"

"What do you two usually do for fun around here?" Green shrugged and said

"I usually start watching TV while Michael goes and does whatever." A said

"I fight with Ixion."

"What do you two do together?" A and Green looked at each other, then back at Maiyu and shrugged simultaneously. Maiyu sweatdropped and asked

"Wait...aren't you two mates?" Green blushed heavily and set her face in her hands. A waved his hands and said

"Whoa there, little lady, we're just close friends. Don't go jumping to conclusions." Maiyu shrugged and said

"Sorry, it just seemed like it. Now I see that A here seems to ignore you a lot." A's face flushed in anger while Green's mouth hung agape in shock. Maiyu tried to rephrase what she said.

"Wait, let me say it in another way. You two don't seem to spend a lot of time together." Green sighed in relief and A's face became less angered.

"That's better" said A gruffly.

"How can you two live in the same house, be of the same species, and not hang out?" A and Green looked at each other again, now completely confused. Maiyu had a valid point, and A didn't have an argument. Finally he turned to Maiyu and replied

"I don't know."

"So how about we have a fun day tomorrow?" A thought about it for a moment, then said

"Alright, what'll we do?"

"How about a picnic?" A nodded his head slowly and said

"Alright... How 'bout the beach?"

"There's a beach here?" A nodded and said

"Yep. You'll see it tomorrow. But in the meantime what do we do?"

"Do you have a TV?" A thought for a moment, then said

"Yeah, I think it's in the living room."

"Good! We shall watch a movie." A smirked and said

"But first you're going to take a bath. Tell me, are you fighter?"

"Yes, it's fun." A smirked and asked

"You know what would be even more fun? Having more time to spend the night how you want because you sped through your bath by not fighting. Make sense?" Maiyu thought about it for a moment, then shrugged and responded

"Alright, but who's bathing me?" A raised his voice and called out

"Rose!" After the Gardevoir appeared, A turned to her and said

"Rose, this is Maiyu. Maiyu, this is Rose." He turned back to Rose and asked

"Do you mind giving her a bath while Green and I clean up?" Rose nodded her assent and held a hand out for Maiyu. Maiyu looked at Rose and then at A.

"Is she nice?" A nodded and told her

"Of course! She's been one of the nicest and most loyal pokemon I ever had. I don't play favorites, but that is the simple truth of the matter. I trust her with my life." Rose nodded and said

"And I would give mine up for him. That's the depth of friendship I have with him." Maiyu then nodded and took Rose's hand. They then walked upstairs together so Maiyu could take her bath. After A and Green finished cleaning up the kitchen and Maiyu finished her bath without any incidents, they gathered in the living room, where A pulled out a box of videos he had found and said

"Alright Maiyu, I don't know what you like, so go ahead and pick. Just don't overstep your bounds, okay?"

"Okay!" Maiyu then shifted through the pile and picked a movie.

"How about a romantic comedy?" A glanced at her suspiciously and asked

"What is it? And what's the rating?"

"It says PG." A thought about it, then said hesitantly

"Well, strictly speaking, we're not your parents. But I suppose if it gets too shady, we can always turn it off. Alright, put it in." Maiyu quickly put the movie into the player and sat down in between A and Green. As the movie went on she secretly began to pull the two closer together. She was making sure to be careful and to keep their emotions in her radar. Around the middle of the movie, A began to wonder

_"Why would Maiyu choose this movie? Isn't she a little young to be interested in romance? And is it my imagination, or are Green and I closer than before?"_ Maiyu noticed and stopped moving them with Confusion. She was hoping that A would shake off the thought and return to the movie. After a moment, A began to wonder if Maiyu had some sort of ulterior motive. Then he shook the thought off.

_"Surely she's nothing more than an innocent girl. Let's just watch the movie."_ Maiyu noticed his emotion change and began to move them again, but with a bit more caution. By the end of the movie, A's suspicion returned and he looked over at Maiyu. He saw her eyes glowing blue, and smirking, he poked her side, asking

"Oh, a little trickster, eh?" Maiyu yelped and immediately stopped her Confusion and said with a forced smile, asking

"What?" A smirked and said

"You can't fool me. I saw you using Confusion there. Besides," he scooted over twice and continued

"This was where I was sitting. And I don't think Green was that close to you at the beginning of the movie." Green looked around her in shock. A's face hardened and he asked seriously

"Alright, spill it; what's your motive?" Maiyu sighed and said

"Sorry. I just wanted you and Green to get closer. Also, I like it when I'm between two adults that are taking care of me. Just ask Aeru and Alara." A eyed her suspiciously and said

"Why do I get the feeling you're lying? I don't care for liars, Maiyu. Are you really telling the truth?" Maiyu was shocked. As far as she was concerned, she was telling him the truth, but she was not going to tell him the other motive.

"Yes, I am." A kept his eyes on her, then stood and said

"Well, regardless of whether or not you are telling the truth, the fact remains that you used your powers on both of us without permission. In my time, that's a very punishable offense, and I believe it stems from this time period." He looked up at the clock, which read eight-thirty.

"As punishment, you will be sent to bed early. Come on." Maiyu was now a little angry.

"But I told the truth! I didn't harm anyone."

"Regardless, you used your power to manipulate a situation without the victim's consent. I'm sorry, but that's how it is. Now, will you come quietly, or do I have to carry you?" Maiyu pouted and got off the couch. She then walked up the stairs, but not before giving A an angry look. A brushed it off and made sure she was in bed before closing the door and rejoining Green, who asked

"Okay, was that really necessary?"

"She needs to learn not to use her powers on anyone unless the situation is dire or she has permission to do so. I hate to criticize her parents, but I would think she should have learned that lesson by now."

"She's just a little girl!" Green protested. A shook his head and told her

"It's never too early to learn." Maiyu laid on the bed that A gave her for the night and looked up at the ceiling. She was angry at him. All she wanted to do was bring him and Green closer and this was the thanks she got. She then smirked and said to herself

"Alright. I guess I'll have to fight fire with fire." Green was staring at the TV, and soon she said to A

"You know, I really think you were too harsh on her. You should apologize." A shook his head ostensibly and told her

"She used her powers on both you and me without either of our permission. Who knows the havoc she could have wrought by that?" Green rolled her eyes and said

"Now you're just getting crazy. She's only a child, there's no way she would be evil." A snorted and replied

"Yeah, I believed that about many people, only to be severely disappointed. My mind is made up, and the punishment will be carried through. I'll see you in the morning." He got up and went to his room, and after shaking her head in disappointment, Green went to her own room. Maiyu decided to sleep for a little while, but set her Poketch alarm to wake her up in three hours. After three hours, the Poketch went off and she quickly turned off the alarm, so she didn't wake up the others. She opened the door to A's room and looked inside. She then went a few doors down and found Green's room. She said to herself

"I don't want to harm Green; So far she has been nice to me. I don't want to harm A, but he needs to learn to lighten up." She looked at Green and came up with a plan. She sighed and pleaded

"Please forgive me for this Green." Maiyu then lifted Green up with Confusion and went into A's room. She then meticulously set them up like she usually set up Rick and Alara. She looked at her work and said

"Again, please forgive me." She then carefully closed both doors to A and Green's rooms and went back to her bed. In the morning, both A and Green woke up and screamed. Green slapped A and shouted

"What are you doing in my bed?!" A retaliated

"Your bed? This is my bedroom! How did you-" He thought for a moment, then screamed

"MAIYU!" Maiyu woke up to the sound of A and Green screaming. She then heard A scream out her name. She jumped out of bed and entered A's room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She asked A, while still drowsy

"What's going on?" A jumped out of the bed, glowering at her, then demanded

"What's the big idea?! How dare you violate our privacy by committing such an act, one that goes against both of our morals?" Maiyu backed up and leaned against a wall, trying not to make eye contact with him, obviously scared. Maiyu wasn't going to lie, she knew better, yet she knew that she probably crossed the line this time. Maiyu sighed and asked

"You think that I did this?" A narrowed his eyes and said

"Oh, I know you did this. My pokemon would never betray me, especially like this, and this is the only time it has happened. And it better be the last. Do you understand me?" Maiyu didn't respond, she just adverted her gaze and almost began to cry until Green picked her up and began to scold A for scaring her.

"Apologize to her right now!" A crossed his arms and turned away, still angry. Green seethed, then set Maiyu gently down, walked up to A and punched him full-on in the mouth. He fell to the floor in shock, but swiped the trickle of blood away. He stood and was about to start yelling, but he stopped when he saw a cowering Maiyu. He looked at his own hands for a moment, then cursed silently and strode to the doorway, punching a large hole into the frame. After a minute of massaging his throbbing hand, he turned to Maiyu and said

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that, or upset you. I need some time to myself right now." He teleported out of the mansion and into the training grounds, where he began to lay waste to a multitude of stone golems. Maiyu thought to herself

"_Oh no! What did I do? I need to fix this."_ Maiyu then asked Green.

"Are you really mad at him? Please don't be. Where is he?" Green sighed and brushed a hand through her uncombed hair, sitting back on the bed. Then she said

"I don't know. I am mad at him because he shouted at you like that. Even if you did it, I'm sure you had your reasons. I'm not saying I liked it, but... I just don't know right now. As for where he is, he'll probably be in the back, but I don't suggest seeing him right now."

"Why not?" Green walked to the door to get better dressed in her room, but before she left, she turned to Maiyu and said

"He's blowing off some steam right now, and you might get in the crossfire. We don't want that, so it would be best to wait for him to be finished." Maiyu looked outside the window and saw A destroying mannequins. She then walked to the kitchen and waited for him to come inside the house. After about half an hour of venting his frustration, A paused to catch his breath and sat on the ground. He buried his face in his hands and said to himself

"Dammit, I'm a real idiot. I was supposed to help Maiyu overcome her fear of humans, but now I've exacerbated it, I'm sure." After a moment of thinking it over, A said resignedly

"I better make it up to her and find some peace with Green. Man, it's been a while since I had this problem." Then he stood and walked inside, finding Maiyu sitting in the kitchen. Maiyu saw him and worked up the courage to talk to him

"A...are you mad at me?" A looked at her for a moment, then sighed and said

"I'm mad at both of us. You violated mine and Green's privacy, and I overreacted. I overdid it last night too. I'm sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?"

"How about we just move on and forget the whole thing? I'll go apologize to Green." A nodded and said

"Alright, that works. What do you want for breakfast?"

"I'll take anything you want to give me. I'll go apologize." Maiyu then went walking back upstairs, leaving A in the kitchen. A sighed and walked to the pantry, bringing out pancake mix, saying

"What a life to live." He paused as he filled a bowl with the mix, some milk and butter, then asked himself

"How long will I remain the Guardian of Pokemon? How long will it take before the strain finally breaks me? At some point, I will have to accept that I can't live forever, whether I want to or not." He looked out the window.

"But when will it happen? And when it does, what will my afterlife be like?" With only these thoughts for company at the moment, he began to make the pancakes. Maiyu arrived at the doors of Green's room. She took a minute to think over what she should say. She took a deep breath and said to herself

"Better now than ever." She then knocked on the door. Green opened the door and looked around for a moment. Her gaze caught Maiyu and she asked politely

"Yes?" Maiyu took a deep breath and said

"Ms. Green, I came here to apologize for what I did. I didn't mean to cause trouble between you and A." Green scoffed and said

"If anyone, it's Michael who needs to apologize. He shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

"But I crossed the line. I did something to you guys that caused him to yell at me." Green hesitated, then said

"While that might be true, he still overreacted. And that punishment last night was going overboard."

"All he did was send me to my room." Green eyed Maiyu suspiciously and asked

"I thought you were angry with him. Why are you defending him?"

"Because I started it. I tried to bring you two closer, but apparently that was wrong."

"What exactly do you mean by bring us closer?"

"You two spend almost no time together. I just wanted to change that." Green smiled and said

"Well, that's sweet of you. But we might want to try another method." Maiyu arched her eyebrow and asked

"Like what?" Green's eyes became unfocused, and she replied

"Keep his attention focused on something he finds fun. Or keep us all together while doing something you find fun."

"Like the picnic today." Green nodded and said

"Yes, that's good. But first we'll have to work on Michael's mood."

"I think he's better now. He wasn't mad at me when he came in." Green looked at her and asked

"But isn't he feeling extremely downcast right now?" Maiyu nodded solemnly and said

"Yeah. So what should we do?" Green pondered for a moment, then asked

"Have you two come to an agreement at least? Is there peace once more?" Maiyu nodded

"Yes, I talked to him before coming up here." Green nodded and said

"Good, that's one less thing to worry about. We need to divert his mind to happier thoughts. Unfortunately, he hides his past so well that I'm not completely sure what subject we can safely broach."

"I can read his mind for you" Maiyu offered. Green grinned darkly and asked

"Think you can do it without getting caught again? Because if he does, I know the picnic will be canceled. He probably won't yell at you again; he'll simply leave."

"Then let's not do that. Any ideas?" Green winced and said

"Not really. The most I know is that he spent the majority of his live fighting, and he came close to losing his life on many occasions. That doesn't leave anybody without emotional scars. But I suppose we can start off with compliments."

"Compliments? Why with that?"

"At least we can get his mind off the darker matters that plague him by diverting it to more positive thoughts. Unless you have something else in mind?"

"Well you know him better. So you can talk to him." Green thought for a moment, then said

"Alright, I want you to tip me off if he starts getting suspicious. Pretend to scratch your head or something if he gets that way, alright?"

"Sounds good. So we just go downstairs and try to get the plan to work. Are you going to try during breakfast?" Green nodded and began to walk to the dining room, saying

"The sooner we get him out of his depression the better." Maiyu teleported onto her shoulder and asked her

"Is he ever happy? Every time I read his emotions I only pick up something negative." Green sighed heavily, and she replied

"I don't know, Maiyu. I really don't know. I've seen what appears to be happiness, but it could easily be faked. For all I know, he is suffering an endless torment since the days he battled Cipher. I want to help, but he won't let anyone in."

"You humans are weird creatures." Green smirked and replied

"In your point of view, perhaps. But to many humans, you pokemon are the ones to be feared."

"How so?"

"Well," Green began "you all have powers that could easily cause a human harm, and the only line of defense we have against you are flimsy metal capsules that you can break out of. Now then, which sounds more intimidating to you?" Maiyu giggled and said

"The people with the guns and the notions of enslaving pokemon."

"Ah, but that's what Michael's there for. With him watching over pokemon, there will be a severe drop in that."

"I hope he can do his job. He has to help Aeru who has to stop some sort of eternal catastrophe." Green shrugged and said

"He'll do his best, but let's not try to put any extra pressure on him, okay? I imagine he's got enough stress as it is. Do you know, he kept himself so stressed, the first time I convinced him to go to a masseuse, he wound up losing all motor control?" Maiyu laughed and said

"Wow, it was that bad?" Green sobered up before they fully reached downstairs and told her

"It's no laughing matter. Think about what kinds of stresses he's been putting himself under to get like that. And then, whatever you come up with, triple it. That's pretty much what A's been going through since the age of ten."

"Then let's give him a fun day today. He can't be too dense." Green grunted and said

"Let's just hope we can get him out of his depressive state. Everything rides on the success of that."

"Well we'll just have to give him the time of his life." Maiyu then got curious.

"You really care for him. What's he to you?" Green hesitated, then replied

"He's a very dear friend, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to him as well. Just please don't tell him I said that." Maiyu gave Green a thumbs up and said

"I'll take it to my grave, but when are you going to tell him?"

"When I feel secure about our relationship. Right now we could only be considered friends, and that's probably loosely now, considering I punched him."

"I'm sure he forgives you. Or is he that spiteful?"

"Oh, I don't think he's spiteful, especially since he admitted to his faults. But it will add to his depression. Just another thing to work on, I suppose. Well, shall we get started?"

"Lead the way. I want to eat breakfast already." They both walked in, seeing A had laid out pancakes and eggs for them, Maiyu's vitamins sitting next to her plate. However, there were only two plates set up. Green then asked A

"What about you? Aren't you going to eat?" A sullenly shook his head and left the room, saying

"I'm not hungry. But don't let me stop you." He then left the room and Green nearly swore violently. Then she sighed and said

"He's worse off than I thought. Maiyu, was he in any way suspicious of us?" Maiyu shook her head

"No. I didn't sense anything coming from him. Maybe you should go talk to him." Green nodded and ran outside, finding him standing near Lucy's grave. Green cursed and thought

_"Damn it, that's the last place he needs to be right now."_ She rushed over to him and said

"You know, you're not doing yourself any favors." He looked at her in despair and said

"I can't help it. Too much horror has encompassed my life, and even with the second chance I have, things haven't completely improved."

"That's the way life is. You're not always going to get everything you want." A whirled to face her, anger blazing in his eyes.

"Do you take me for an idiot?! Of course I know I can't get everything I want, but I've almost never gotten anything I wanted! All I ask for is a peaceful existence, security, and the chance to lead life the way _I_ want to! But every time I try to make that a reality, some two-faced bastard comes along and starts terrorizing people, and I can't allow that to happen! I can never relax, because to do so puts the lives of everyone at stake! If I attempt to have fun, many will lose their lives! I just can't handle this right now. Maybe it was a mistake to accept Arceus' offer." Green looked at him askance, then asked

"You're not suicidal, are you?" A shook his head and replied

"Never have been, never will be. But I'm just at an all-time low right now. I need to sort something's out." He then left, and Green rushed back inside. Maiyu was eating and then saw Green walking in.

"So how did it go?" Green sighed and told her

"Horrible. His life really IS nothing but endless torment. We need to think of a solution, and fast." Maiyu shook her head and sighed

"Maybe we just have to make it so he sees the good side of life."

"But how do we accomplish that? I think we need more help, because we probably won't do very well."

"No one can resist the cute charm of a child. So leave it to me. I will make him enjoy his pathetic life...worst choice of words." Green giggled and said

"But you're probably right anyway. Go ahead and give it a shot. Should I go with you?" Maiyu thought for a second and said

"Sure! Let's wait until the picnic. I'll pull something that will make A realize that life is worth enjoying." Green looked out the window and said

"First we have to convince him to come along. Any idea how to do that?"

"I have nothing. I thought that maybe you could try to convince him" Green hesitated, then sighed and said

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." She left the mansion and searched for A, finding him chucking rocks into the lake behind the mansion. He was clearly deep in thought, though not anything favorable. Green gathered up her courage and walked up to him. Then she asked

"Maiyu wants to know if the picnic is still on. Are we going?" A sighed heavily and told her

"Go ahead without me. I'll only ruin for you." Green shook her head and replied

"Maiyu was stridently against going unless you were there." A scoffed and said

"Why would she care about someone who scared and punished her, barely showing any kindness?" Green smiled and tugged on his arm, saying softly

"Why don't you come and find out?" A sighed and replied

"Fine, I'll humor you both. Let's go." He teleported them back into the kitchen, where A began to pack up the picnic and Green gave Maiyu a discreet thumb's-up. Maiyu gave Green a thumbs up back and was helping A pack the necessities.

"Alright, we need some sandwiches, chips, dip, potato salad, and fruit." A just nodded and packed everything into a wicker basket he teleported to his hands, his mood brightening commensurately since he was getting the hang of the trick, then covered the whole basked with a picnic blanket he received with the same method. Then he walked to the door and gestured to the other two, asking

"Shall we?" Maiyu jumped on Green's shoulder

"Yep! To the beach!" A gave the basket to Green, then placed both hands on each of their shoulders and called out

"Rose, you're in charge until I get back!" Then he teleported the three of them to the beach. When they arrived Maiyu sulked and said to A

"Great, now a human can teleport better than I can." A smirked and said

"Only while I'm a Gallade. As a human, I have to rely on a method of momentum, which can easily fail. Where should we go?"

"You couldn't teleport things to your hand up until yesterday. How did you teleport yourself?" A laughed and replied

"I was able to teleport myself before teleporting individual objects. It didn't take long to learn from there."

"You sir are backwards. Here we learn to teleport objects before ourselves."

"Huh. Well, that makes no sense to me, but I digress. Where shall we set up?" Maiyu looked around and picked an area that had grass on it

"How about there?"

"Okay." A spread the blanket and set the picnic up. Then he said

"Dig in." Maiyu quickly began to devour sandwiches and Green laughing at the sight, despite herself. Maiyu then noticed A's emotions and asked him

"Are you not enjoying yourself?" A forced a smile and said cheerily

"Sure! This is a very nice scene right now, and it's also relaxing." Maiyu sighed and shook her head towards Green, who seemed to have gotten the memo. Green nodded back to her and A automatically asked

"Alright, what are you up to?" Maiyu answered

"Me and Ms. Green wanted you to relax a bit. However, you seem to be as depressed as before. Even though you're putting up a good facade." A's smile faded and he said

"I'm not going to be able to get past you am I? Look, I've already explained this to Green; every time I relax, people are endangered." Maiyu shook her head and told him

"No one is in danger here. Even if they were, Aeru's here to protect them. You don't have to run yourself to your breaking point day after day. There's a time to work and a time to rest and be yourself." A shook his head and replied

"But that's who I am, and who I have been since I turned ten so many years ago. I've never known any other way. And each attempt to change myself met with danger. Eventually I came to accept who I am."

"But that doesn't mean that you can't have fun."

"Actually, it does, because that's a form of relaxing. However, if you can get me to unwind, and nobody gets hurt in the process, whether it seems related or not, I'll relax more often."

"Then this is a prime moment. No one is in danger." A sighed and leaned back, asking

"Alright, whattya got for me?" Maiyu looked at Green and then back at A.

"Well, we're already here, so let's just enjoy each other's company for now. Later, we can do all sorts of things." A shrugged and said

"Fair enough." He grabbed a sandwich and took a bite, and as he chewed he began to reflect on what little happy times he could remember, mostly that of playing with Umbra and Jovi before he set out to become a trainer. For the first time in eighty years, he cracked a genuine smile. Maiyu smiled and said

"I see you do have good memories." A's smile faded a little and he said

"But they were a long time ago, and those moments were kind of rare."

"Then make new memories." A raised an eyebrow and said

"Easy to say, harder to do." Maiyu shrugged and responded

"Not necessarily. You just refuse to let it happen."

"Not quite. I just don't know how to MAKE it happen."

"By just having fun and enjoying yourself."

"Well, I assume you have something planned to help me with this."

"Yes! A day full of fun until Aeru comes to pick me up." A finished his sandwich and asked

"What's first on the agenda?" Maiyu thought for a second, then said

"Well there's the picnic, anything you want to do after, then probably a movie, and finally a nice dinner." A thought for a moment, then said dully

"I'm useless in coming up with ideas for fun." Maiyu shook her head and said

"It just has to be something you want to do." She then took something out of the bag she brought with her. She then showed it to A and he saw that it was Avion's Titan Seal.

"Maybe this can help you." Intrigued, A asked

"How would Avion help in my quest to have fun?" Maiyu smiled and said

"Apparently, you have never gone on a flight. On Avion it's like riding a roller coaster." A rolled his eyes and replied

"Of course I've been on Avion before, but it was always with other passengers, so he was going easy."

"Oh, then you are going to have a treat." A chuckled and said

"Alright, let's see what he can do."

"Later. Right now, we are going to enjoy this picnic." Maiyu then smashed Avion's Titan Seal on the ground and Avion emerged in a bright light. Avion chirped when he was Maiyu and then began to stretch his wings. Maiyu hugged Avion's leg and said,

"Hi Avion! I need your help today." A watched with some amusement as the overlarge bird chirped happily. However, he was still wary, as he could still remember how the bird was trying to kill them all, and that Maiyu had been scared heavily. So how she could be so accepting was a mystery to him. Maiyu looked at A and told him

"I have nothing to fear of Avion. Sure he scared me in the beginning, but now he acts like he's my guardian." A scowled for a moment, but decided to let it slide. He grabbed another sandwich and went back to pondering the few good times he remembered, his mood slowly but steadily improving. Maiyu sat down on Avion's back and hummed softly with Avion accompanying her with whistles and chirps. Green sat back and enjoyed the duet by the Kirlia and the gargantuan raptor. A listened to it, thinking about how amazing life could be. His mood was vastly improved from before, which made him feel much better. He was tired of living life in a pessimistic mood, and he resolved to get more out of life. He would grieve when appropriate, but now he would no longer let it consume him. Avion stopped whistling, but Maiyu kept going. As she was humming, Avion walked up near the resting A and set his head in between A and Green. Maiyu got up and sat down on Avion's head as he roosted. A looked Avion in a large eye and said

"'Sup?" Avion gave out a guttural sound that sounded like a chuckle. Avion then closed his eyes and rested. Maiyu then laughed

"Looks like Avion can tell that you're finally getting the point." A regarded her with confusion and asked

"Of what?"

"You're finally relaxing." She then tapped Avion's head and asked

"Right boy?" Avion chirped positively. A sighed and sat back, placing his hands behind his head. Then he said

"Well, after eighty years of fighting almost nonstop, coupled with enormous emotional pain, I think I'm entitled to cut back a bit." Avion then chirped and Maiyu closed her eyes. She then asked

"You want me to tell him that boy?" Avion chirped and Maiyu told A

"Avion says that he's been around for many millenniums and knows what you're going through. He's been in so many fights and a lot of pain, but he's never let it keep him down." A turned to Avion and asked

"Do you know the pain of being the last of your bloodline, and being responsible in part for it?" Maiyu closed her eyes and replied on Avion's behalf.

"Avion says that he does. He says that there were five different Avions before he became the last. He used to be their protector until they were all killed and he blamed himself for not being able to protect them." A lay a hand on Avion's massive head and told him

"I feel your pain. I myself was pestered by my sister to partake in a dangerous trip. I decided to humor her, as we hadn't spent much time together. In the process, however, she lost her life. My mother died of grief shortly after. I am the sole surviving Ryuto." Maiyu gave a sad hum and then closed her eyes when Avion was saying something,

"Avion says, thank you. He does miss his sister, his brother, his daughter, son, and mate. He says that Arceus then gave him the power to become a Titan and live forever to fix all that went wrong. He says that it's been 500,000 years since he last saw his family." A's eyes saddened and he patted Avion's head. Then he said

"Well, there's no point for us to dwell on it. What's done is done." Avion chirped and Maiyu relayed his message

"Avion says that he knows that it's over and there's nothing he can do anymore. He stopped crying millenniums ago. He wishes that there were more Avion's, but Arceus only takes surviving members of a species." A hesitated, then thought to himself

_"Well, I'm not limited in that regard, and if I have anything to say about it, I will ensure my bloodline continues."_ Avion looked at A and then took in a deep breath. He opened his mouth and a white mist covered A. A then saw a vision of Avion 500,000 years earlier. A saw Avion next to him and he directed him by pointing with his beak. A saw five other large bird-like creatures, each one of different colors. Three were very large and two looked like fledgling, a few months out of their eggs. A saw as a red Avion walked up to the fledglings and herded them into its wings. A was not sure what was happening and then he heard Avion give a sad chirp as he saw them. A looked at Avion sadly and asked softly

"Your children?" Avion gave a slow nod, not taking his eyes off the scene. A looked back and saw Avion, obviously the same one, but younger flying onto the mountain top they were on and walk over to the red Avion and the fledglings. He then opened his mouth and what looked like flesh from a hunt fell out and the fledgling quickly began to eat. The red Avion then began to rub its head on Avion's neck, Avion quickly returned the affection. The modern Avion was watching the scene with A and began to walk forward and giving out sad chirps. A stopped him by tapping his leg and Avion walked back to his original position. Avion then opened his mouth and the scene changed. A gasped when he saw the new scene. All the Avions, even the fledglings, were dead and Avion was shoving the red Avion trying to get her to wake up. Avion was giving sad shrieks and chirps as he tried to revive his mate and children. A looked close and saw a large bloody slash on Avion's side, obviously from a fight. A then saw Avion give one more monstrous shriek and lay his head on his mate's body.

After a moment A saw a bright light and then Arceus appeared before Avion. He heard him ask

"Do you want to make everything in the world right again? Do you want to avenge them?" The vision then ended and A was back on the beach and looked at Avion, who was still laying down next to him with Maiyu sitting on his head. Maiyu then said to him

"Avion says that you should treasure what you have. That it's too late for others, but you still have a chance." A nodded and looked Avion in the eye. He said

"I promise to grab that chance. I won't let my grief consume me anymore." He looked over at Green, who was currently watching over the ocean, and continued

"I will do what I think is right." Maiyu then said to him

"Avion says, open your mind." A closed his eyes and then heard a low peaceful voice

_"Then take your chances." _A's face settled and he stood. He walked over to Green and asked

"Can I speak with you? Privately?" Green seemed surprised but nodded, allowing him to help her up. He nodded to Maiyu and Avion, saying

"Excuse us, please." He walked with her down the beach for a minute, and when they were out of earshot, A started.

"So... Green, I have never had a chance to have a relationship before, outside of family, and even then it was always fleeting." Green nodded and responded

"You've suffered much throughout your life." A nodded and replied

"But I won't let that dictate my actions anymore. I know who I am and what I stand for. That will be my guide in the choices I make for the future."

"And why did you wish to speak with me privately?" A drew a deep breath, then told her

"I don't want to live in doubt anymore. I want to live out my life, however long that will be, with honesty and integrity. And I would like for you to be a part of it." Green's breath caught for a moment, and she asked uncertainly

"Are you asking me for...?" A nodded and replied

"Yes. Would you agree to join in a relationship with me? I promise that I will care for you to the extent of my abilities, and whenever you need me, I will be by your side. Will you consent to have me?" Green's face broke out in a large smile and she shouted

"Yes! Yes, Michael. I will enter a relationship with you." Feeling immensely relieved, A smiled and offered her his hand. She took hold of it, and satisfied, they walked back to the site of their picnic. Maiyu and Avion saw them walking back, surprisingly happier. Maiyu smiled and said

"What's with you two?" A smiled and looked at Green, squeezing her hand and said

"I just went with my instinct. I'm opening a new chapter of my life, one I hope will be far better than my previous one." Avion gave a chuckle-like sound and Maiyu asked

"What kind of chapter?" A's smile grew and he replied

"Of renewal and happiness." Maiyu closed one eye and said

"I think I know already. What did Avion tell you?"

"To take my chances. I went out on a limb, and I succeeded. And now happiness is sure to follow." Maiyu smiled wider and said

"Great to hear! I should tell Aeru." A laughed and said happily

"Tell the whole team! I don't mind!"

"I might hold off the details. Mainly because I want you to tell him when he comes to pick me up." A grinned and said

"Fair enough. So, how should we enjoy the rest of the day?"

"Well, that's really up to you. We can end the picnic. I mean, someone ate all the sandwiches." A chuckled and said

"Well, someone had to eat 'em. So, what's next after this?"

"Well we can have Avion fly us back to the house and we can start cooking a nice dinner." A nodded and said

"Sounds good. What do you say, Avion? Willing to give us a ride?" Avion stood up and nodded. He then lowered his head and let them on his back. Avion then took off towards the mansion and spun in the air to give the team a thrill ride. A held tightly to Green and laughed ecstatically while Green screamed in terror and joy. When they landed, Maiyu returned Avion to its seal and they went inside, where they began to prepare vegetarian burgers, per A's choice. Maiyu was helping A get the buns and condiments, while Green was cooking this patties. Maiyu then asked A

"Why don't you eat meat?" A paused in his task and said

"Because it feels to me like I am eating one of my own pokemon, which is unacceptable under any circumstances. However, I have no problem with milk or unfertilized eggs."

"Hmm alright, I understand. I'll be right back, I have to go to the bathroom." Maiyu then walked upstairs to the bathroom. As A set the plates out, making sure to place a couple of Maiyu's vitamins next to hers, Green asked

"So, what made you come out and ask me for a relationship?" A hesitated before saying

"Avion showed me how much alike we are in some ways. He also advised me to follow my heart and take chances. Rose gave me the same advice, and I decided the time was right to act." Silence fell between the two of them as they finished setting out dinner. Maiyu stayed finished using the bathroom and began to walk down the stairs. She stopped halfway and decided to listen in on their conversation. She said to herself

"I think everything went better than I expected." They all sat down and ate dinner, enjoying each other's company, the morning's argument put long behind them. Maiyu asked A

"So did Aeru tell you when he's going to pick me up?" A sweatdropped and said

"I thought he told you when he was coming." Maiyu shook her head and then got a text on her Poketch

"Forget it, he says he'll be here in an hour." A nodded and said

"Alright, then. Won't he be getting a surprise when he gets here. So, have you overcome your fear of humans, or at least us?" Maiyu nodded

"Yes. You guys are awesome...when you're not angry." A hung his head in shame for a moment and said

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was raised strictly, that's how I raised my pokemon... it's just kind of set in."

"It's okay. I'm just happy at the results of our day." A looked at Green and smiled, then said

"Me too."

"Well I had fun during my stay. A remembered all of Aeru's instructions, and that surprised me." A asked in mock surprise

"What? Didn't you have more faith in me than that?" Maiyu then said playfully

"Maaayyyybe. Be happy that I trust you now." A chuckled and finished his food, then started picking up the dishes. As A was leaving the dining room with the dishes, she asked Green

"So, what happens now?"

"What exactly do you mean?"

"You and A, What's next?" Green blushed slightly and answered

"Well, we'll enjoy a stronger relationship now. We'll probably go out a few times a month, or more, depending on Michael. And when the time comes, we might get married."

"Well, maybe you'll get married. How long do you think it'll take for that?" Green shrugged and said

"Not sure. In our society, there's really no length of time that determines when the male in the relationship should propose. In all truth, he could propose to me right now if he wanted. But our society has a generalized rule of thumb about knowing your prospective partner before settling down."

"And how long have you known each other?"

"For about a few months now, and we were associates against the original Team Rocket. And that's why we're taking advantage of this grace period, so to speak, to understand each other better. Along the way, we'll learn exactly what makes each other up, and at the end, if we find everything to our taste, he'll propose and I'll accept. Simple as that."

"Well, be happy that there's another human here." Green glanced around, then whispered

"Well, call me crazy, but I get the feeling that I was resurrected for HIS benefit." Maiyu arched an eyebrow and asked

"Why do you say that?" Green answered

"Well, why else would Arceus have resurrected me? Furthermore, why did Rick make the request in the first place? Why was I brought here, specifically, where Michael is dwelling right now, instead of just left to my own devices? None of it makes sense." Maiyu shrugged and replied

"Well I wouldn't know. That's between Aeru and Arceus." Green hesitated, then nodded. A reappeared and said

"Alright, who's up for Go-Fish until Rick gets here?" Maiyu raised her hand and shouted

"Me!" She turned and looked at Green

"You want to play too?" Green smiled and said

"Sure!" Ten minutes in saw A grinding his teeth in frustration as the girls were easily beating him. Maiyu giggled and said

"You're bad at this game A." A growled and said

"Don't rub it in. Got any Aces?" Maiyu snickered and said

"Yes." She then gave him the card, then said cockily

"Thank you for taking my last card." A's eyes widened and he shouted

"Dang it!" Maiyu and Green laughed at him, and there was a knock on the door. A called out

"It's open!" And Rick opened the door, walking through with Alara. Rick waved at the three and said,

"Hello! I'm here to pick up Maiyu. I take it she behaved herself?" Maiyu quickly hugged Rick and Alara,

"Aeru! Alara" Rick chuckled and told her

"It's good to see you too Maiyu." A stood up and walked over, saying

"Everything went well, and she even helped me personally." Alara asked curiously

"Oh, in what way?" A smiled, then looked at Green. She herself smiled and walked over to him. They linked hands, and A looked to Rick and Alara and said

"I'll give you three guesses." Rick and Alara gave surprised smiles and looked at each other. Rick then said

"I think we only need one; you and Green hooked up."

"Yep! Maiyu, along with Avion, managed to show me the brighter side of life. I plucked up the courage to ask her, and she accepted me. So anytime Maiyu needs a babysitter and you guys are busy, she's always welcome here." Rick chuckled in amusement

"Well that's a matter to decide with her parents. However, we'll be happy to do it again." Alara then said

"This is awesome! Double date!...well someday." A chuckled and said

"Sounds good. Well, I guess we'll see you some other time, Maiyu." Maiyu smiled at him and told him

"Well I'll be in Rick and Alara's house tomorrow if you want to visit." A nodded and said

"I'll keep that in mind." Rick picked up Maiyu and said to A and Green

"Well thanks again for taking care of her. Congrats guys! Goodbye!" Alara waved goodbye and said

"Bye you two!" Maiyu waved goodbye and the three left the house. Green looked at A and asked

"Well, that went well, didn't it?" A smiled and pulled her closer, saying

"Yeah, I think so."

**Okay, so I'm not so depressed anymore (still not really in a good position, but what else can I do besides mope?). I hope I can get a decent amount out before things start picking up, so root for me!**


	45. Ch 45: A Battle Of Wills

**Well, here's another installment for you. This one is going to be rather funny, I think, but don't let me ruin it for you. Story Spotlight; **_**High School Union**_**, by yours truly. Ratings; 1st) United States 2nd) Philippines 3rd) United Kingdom 4th) Croatia 5th) Canada. **

A was standing outside in the light of the rising sun, basking in the warmth and glee of his recent success. The girl he had loved for nigh upon ninety years was finally his girlfriend, and now he hoped to be able to show some of the affection he had held back for so long. His thoughts were distracted as the door to the mansion opened, and he looked back to see Green walking out to join him.

"Morning, Michael." He was slightly irritated that she wouldn't use the name he was becoming more accustomed to, but he decided that since she would be closer to him than anyone else, he might as well cut her some slack.

"Morning, Green. Lovely day, isn't it?" She hummed in agreement, and A wondered what he was supposed to do next. They were only recently hooked up, so kissing her seemed out of the question. Holding her hand might have been a bit of a long shot, too.

_"Oh boy, I'm screwed" _he thought to himself. Although they were from the same time period, which meant they shared the same customs, he was lost as to what moves he could use that weren't pretentious on his part. He wanted to do something, but he didn't want to go flying off a cliff with his move. Green interrupted his thoughts by asking

"Something heavy on your mind, Michael?" He flinched briefly, then said

"Well, kind of. I wanted to try and think of something we could do today. You know, enjoy each other's company, and get to know one another better, but I'm having a difficult time thinking properly." Green giggled and asked teasingly

"You, having a hard time thinking? That's very unlike you." He huffed and thought to himself

_"Well, no one has ever gotten this close to me. I'm totally unprepared for it."_ Then he asked her

"Do you have any ideas?" She thought for a second, then asked

"Why don't we just walk around?" A's gaze grew distant and he said

"That sounds nice, but we've already seen the Sanctuary. Why don't we try somewhere else?" Green thought about it, then asked

"But where? I don't know this region." A smirked and tapped his head, saying

"But I do. And I think Amity Square would be a beautiful place to go." Green tilted her head and asked

"Amity Square? I've never heard of that. What is it?" A chuckled and told her

"It's a park that was created for the purpose of people walking around with their pokemon, because normally trainers aren't allowed to keep their pokemon out. Thankfully, that's becoming a bit more lax now, or should I say in our time, but in Amity Square, they only allow 'beautiful' pokemon to walk outside of their pokeball." Green frowned and replied

"That doesn't sound ideal." A shrugged and said

"Well, we're not there for our pokemon, we're there just to walk around and enjoy the sights. The rules may be a bit tight-fisted, but the park is still a lovely place to go. So, whattya say?" Green thought for another second, then agreed.

"All right, it sounds like a pretty good idea. But you'll have to be human to remain inconspicuous." A chuckled and said

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry, I can do it. Is there anything you want to attend to before we leave?"

"Now?"

"No time like the present."

"No, I guess I'm good to go. How will we get there?" A chuckled and said

"Leave that to me." He grabbed Green's hand and closed his eyes, forming an image of the route just below Hearthome City. Within moments, he teleported them there, and he transformed back into his human form. They walked into the large city, Green becoming visibly nervous. A looked at her and asked

"What's wrong? Is something bothering you?" Green looked around, then shrank into A's side, saying

"It's been a while since I was in such a social setting with only humans around. I'm more used to pokemon now. Does that make me sound weird?" A chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, telling her

"Not at all. You have simply been shoved into an unfamiliar setting, and you're uncomfortable with it. I don't blame you at all. After living pretty much exclusively with pokemon for over fifty years, I've become rather suspicious of humans, too. But while I'm here, no one shall harm you, I swear upon my honor as a Knight." Green smiled and nuzzled up to him. It was slightly difficult to walk around like this, but A didn't care in the slightest.

After about half an hour of maneuvering through the vast city, they came upon a large structure that had a sign on top, depicting a few colorful pokemon. Green glanced up at A and asked

"Is that it?" He nodded and said

"Yup, that's Amity Square. Let's not waste time standing here." He began to walk forward, but a deafening sound stopped him. After a moment, six men on motorcycles began to surround them. Green hid timidly behind A, who took a defensive position. They soon stopped and kicked out their stands, then dismounted their bikes and removed their helmets.

"Michael, what's going on? Who are they?" Green asked him timidly. A narrowed his eyes and said

"Bikers. I'm not sure what they want, but they'll be getting something else." The leader of them, a big burly man who seemed to be missing a couple of teeth, leered at them, especially Green, and said

"Well, well, a cute little couple, out on a stroll. Thing is, you gotta pay a toll to get through." A narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, stating loudly and confidently

"Last I remember, the toll was paid inside. Since when did they change that?" The lead biker laughed and said

"It ain't for the park, idiot! It's for our federation's personal funds."

"And what federation is that, exactly?"

"None of your business, that's what? Now, about your toll..." He leered at Green, who was at this point well frightened, and he grinned devilishly and said

"We're flexible, see. So, if you find yourself low on cash, we could just take your pretty friend and be on our way." A's face hardened and he said

"You really have no idea who you're messing with, so I'll give you a fair warning; leave us alone or face my wrath." The bikers laughed and the leader said

"Give me a break! You think you could take me and my gang on? We'll just show you what you're up against, and when we win, we'll take you to be our slave and the girl for fun!" Green was shaking and she softly said

"Michael..." He sighed and said

"Well, I tried to warn you. But I guess it was inevitable. Still, I should try to make things more fair for you, so..." He unbelted Savior and shrugged off his frock coat, then handed them to Green and said

"Hang on to those for me, would you?" Unable to speak at the moment, she simply nodded her head. A smiled at her and turned back to face his opponents, then cracked his knuckles and neck, then proclaimed

"Just so you know, I am Alpha, the White Knight of Arceus, and today you will suffer defeat at my hands!" They all laughed, and one of the younger ones ran at him with a bat. A simply sidestepped him and smacked him on the back of the head, disorienting him. Then he shoved him toward one of the bikes. The young man hit it, causing it to fall, tumbled over it, and came to rest on the pavement. He turned to the rest of the bikers and said simply

"Next." The next one shouted a pitiful war cry and was donning brass knuckles. A jumped and flipped over him, taking him by surprise, and when he landed on the biker's shoulders, he collapsed under A's weight. A picked him up and tossed him to join his unconscious friend.

"Next." One more volunteered, wielding a steel bar this time. A caught it in his hand and yanked it out of the man's grasp, then began to play with him by ducking and dodging every blow he tried to land, smacking him on the head with the pipe for each miss. Finally, A had enough, so he tripped the biker and brought the pipe down, knocking him out and taking down half of the gang without effort.

The other three drew guns, and Green gasped in horror.

"Michael!" she yelled. A held up a hand and said to the three

"It was fun and games before, but now you're taking adult situations. Are you prepared to accept the adult consequences?" The leader waved the gun and said

"Shaddup! I've had it with you, so we're just going to get rid of you and take your girl for ourselves!" A's eyes darkened and he said

"Now you've crossed the line. Prepare to lose." He disappeared, taking the bikers by surprise. Not a moment later, he reappeared and challenged

"Well? Take your best shot."

"Michael, what are you doing?!" Before he could answer, the lead biker pulled on the trigger, and-

_CLICK_

After the dumbfounded silence, A began to laugh darkly and asked

"These what you're looking for?" He started tossing the clips in his hand, and the remaining bikers blanched, and the leader demanded

"What are you?!" A tossed the clips at their feet and said in a dark voice

"I am an Arceus Knight, the Guardian of Pokemon. You have picked a bad day to get on my bad side. Better say your prayers now." The other two threw their weapons down and scrambled to get on their bikes. A caught one before he did and immediately knocked him out, then vanished and reappeared in front of the motorcycle and slammed his hands down on it, stopping it in its tracks and making the rider fly off and crash against a building.

A found the last rider, the leader, trying to grab Green. A vanished and reappeared right in front of her, which made the leader flinch. A raised a fist and punched the man full-on in the face, sending him flying back five feet since he was pulling his power back by a large amount. A observed the scene before him and said

"And that's that. I hope you all learned a valuable lesson." He walked back over to Green, who was stunned, and put his coat back on, then re-belted Savior. While he checked it, Green asked

"Is that you at full power?" A grinned and said

"Actually, that's more like an eighth of my power. Normally I wouldn't have used so much, but I was distinctly aggravated. So, why don't we head into Amity Square now?" Green surveyed the damage and asked

"Shouldn't we call someone about this?" A looked back, then said

"I see no reason to interrupt their nap. Anyway, it'll probably just cause trouble for us. So let's get goin' while the goin's good." After a brief moment of hesitation, Green nodded. A returned his arm around Green's shoulders, and together they walked into the structure that marked Amity Square.

"Hello, and welcome to Amity Square. Do you have any pokemon you want to attend with you?" Green shook her head and A said

"No, it's just the two of us." The receptionist nodded and said

"Alright, enjoy your time here." They nodded their thanks and walked in, immediately taken by the scenery. There were paved walkways, but most of it was devoted to natural rock formations and greenery. A and Green walked together, feeling closer than before. Unfortunately, their good times were about to be dampened.

Further on, they began to see more couples. However, they were completely disregarding honor, sanctity, and just plain decency. Many of the couples seemed to be rolling over one another with locked lips, and more than once they caught couples groping at each other. Green was distinctly uncomfortable, but A was downright infuriated.

_"Don't they care how they're disrespecting the women who have consented to be with them?! Does no one know the meaning of honor anymore?"_ He was just simply disgusted by the lack of decorum, and after he saw the last couple going at it, he crossed and undid his arms, slashing at the air in front of him and said

"Alright, that's it, we're out of here." Green sighed in relief, and they quickly went into the woods. There A transformed and grabbed Green's hand again, teleporting them back to the twenty-second den. He released Green's hands and sighed in frustration and disappointment. Green placed a hand on his shoulder and asked

"Michael, what's wrong?" He looked at her and said sadly

"I just wanted to show you a good time, and instead I wound up having to beat down some idiotic thugs, then expose us to the remarkable distain for honor held by the younger generation. I'm sorry." Green hugged him and said

"Thank you for trying anyway. I guess you and I are just too used to our old customs that it was a complete culture shock to see the future generation's behavior." A shuddered and asked

"Then I can't imagine how bad things are in our own time." Green hesitated, then said

"Well, just remember that history repeats itself, and I think we'll see a return of our customs at some point." A grinned wanly at her efforts, but then he received a call. He answered it;

"Hello?"

_"A? This is Jean?"_

"What's goin' on?"

_"Well, Rick's getting married in two days, and I wanted to throw him a bachelor party. I've got something special and hilarious planned, but only a few select actually know what it is before it actually commences." _A frowned and asked

"I guess I'm going to be kept in the dark, then?"

_"Not when the party starts, you won't. Before that, yeah, pretty much. So, you in?" _A thought about it, then shrugged, saying

"What the hell? I could use some fun."

_"Great! Meet us over at the training simulation room, inside the training hall on the first den. Celand will let you in."_

"Alright, be there in a flash." He hung up and Green asked

"What's going on?" A smirked and replied

"Just got invited to Rick's bachelor party. Supposed to be a big surprise for him, and I have a feeling you'll be going to a bachelorette party soon." Green's eyes lit up and A said

"Well, I gotta go. I'll see you later." She waved him off and he teleported to the training arena for the soldiers. Celand waved him over and said to A

"This is going to be one hell of a night." A smirked and stepped inside, immediately surprised when he saw what looked like a large, clean tavern, or saloon. He searched for Jean and asked

"Since when does a training facility have a bar?" Jean laughed and said

"Never. This is the simulation room. I've just got it _looking _like a bar." A frowned and asked

"And why would you make a simulation room look like a bar? Wouldn't it be easier to just go to an actual bar?" Jean laughed again and clapped him on the shoulder, replying

"Not for our purposes, man!" A was confused, but Jean wouldn't explain any further. A gave up and decided to sit for a while. After about half an hour, Jean and Celand tossed him into the room, and he saw Rick, apparently fast asleep, his head covered with a sackcloth. A sweatdropped and asked Jean

"You couldn't think of an easier way to get him to come here?" Jean chuckled and said

"This way was more fun. Anyway, let's get him up, then get started." He removed the sackcloth and began to shake Rick violently, shouting at him to wake up. However, that wasn't working. Eventually they called Winston over, who used Wake-Up slap to get his attention. Rick woke up and then yelled

"Wayland! Wayland! I'm awake!" Wayland then gave him another slap for good measure. Rick kicked him off and looked around. He saw all the guys and a few decorations. Rick then asked

"What's this?" Wayland told him

"It's a bachelor party. We got all our friends over." Rick then asked

"Why didn't I see this coming? Oh well." He then waved Jean to come over. Once he came did, Rick punched him and said

"There are other ways to get me to come here other than kidnapping me." Jean held his jaw and replied

"But this way was so much fun. Albeit, more painful." Rick chuckled and asked

"So what do you have planned?"

"A few things really. However, we have gifts for you."

"Let's hop to it then." Wayland then threw a gift wrapped barbell at Rick and he fell to the floor as he caught it, trying to get it off of him. The rest of the guys helped lift it off his chest. Jean told Wayland

"Let's try to not kill the groom before he even makes it to the altar." Wayland nodded and replied

"Yeah, I picked a whole bouquet of oopsy daisies." Rick got up and gasped for air

"It's okay. Let's take a break from the presents for now so that I don't die. Quick question though; why are we having this party in Sveeney's?" Allen replied

"We're not. We're in the Sim-room; we just simulated the bar."

"Why?"

"You'll see when Phyracon gets here." Phyracon suddenly appeared.

"Speak of the devil."

Phyracon then showed a present in his hands and said

"Well looks like I'm not too late. So here's a little something-something me and Quera managed to get for y...oh...crap." He stopped when he saw Neil and then two locked glares with one another.

Neil then cracked his neck and said to Rick

"For your bachelor party, we planned a good, old-fashioned bar brawl." Rick sweatdropped and asked

"Why?"

"The point of a bachelor party is to do everything your wife would usually kill you for. It's your last few days as a bachelor. So go out with a bang."

"I don't know guys. What do I tell Alara about the scars and bruises?" The voice of D.A.S.I then came over the intercom

"The room will psychically heal you like it does for the simulated battles. You will leave this room fully healed."

"Thanks D.A.S.I!"

"Anytime sir!" Jean then asked him

"So are you in bro?" Rick chuckled and replied

"Yeah."

"Cool! Red Team vs. Blue Team." Rick then sweatdropped and remarked

"But I'm on the Blue Team and you're on the Red Team." Jean chuckled and said

"Exactly! Now for the rules; no weapons, except for whatever you can pick up here, no hits below the belt, and no powers. We're doing this with our bare hands. So let's rumble!" Their bodies then turned into the colors of their team and Jean cheap-shot Lucian. The rumble was then on and the entire team fought one another.

Rick went to A, who was sitting there not trying to fight. He asked him

"Hey, why aren't you fighting?" A shook his head and replied

"I don't harm pokemon." Rick rolled his eyes and said

"Listen, today it's just for fun and we won't be seriously injured. Also, duck!" The two ducked and dodged a flying chair.

"So just relax and go out swinging. You're on the Blue Team, so you're on my team. Bob and weave to stay alive here." A hesitated, wanting to take part in the fun-looking brawl, but reluctant to desecrate his God-given duty. However, when Celand tried to attack him with a bottle of liquor, A jumped and flipped over, grabbing him by the shoulders and throwing him away, like a doll. For a moment, A felt the pounding of his heart, then the pounding of Shadow with a chair over his head.

A turned around and grabbed the chair, trying to wrestle it from him. Shadow's grip was too strong though, so A started to push against him. He tipped Shadow's balance and ran to a wall, slamming him into it.

Now getting more absorbed into the fight, he jumped all the way to the second story of the building and found Jean holding Dartz against a table. A jumped down and elbow-smashed Jean, freeing Dartz. Jean jumped up in pain, and A hurled him through another wall. He rushed to the pool room, where he saw Winston taking down Lucian. Winston kicked him away and noticed A. He grabbed a nearby cue stick and twirled it in a display of mastery. A looked quickly around and spotted another cue, grabbing it and barely deflecting Winston's first strike.

Ten minutes in, they were having a pretty even battle, which surprised A because he didn't think that Winston knew how to fight with a weapon other than his mind. They fought for a few minutes until Winston pulled the rug from under A, literally, and struck him on his back, making A hiss with the sting. A turned around to fight back, but saw Dartz appearing out of nowhere and slamming Winston onto the pool table, breaking it. A thanked him.

"Great timing Dartz!" Dartz nodded and said

"No problem. Jean at six o'clock." A then swung around and broke the pool cue on Jean's head as he ran by.

"Thanks again." Rick then walked up to them

"You guys okay?" A balled up his fist and swung back, hitting Rick in the center of his face.

"Whoops!" Rick got up, holding his nose.

"We're on the same team jackass!"

"Sorry! I'm on edge right now."

"Just try to win." Rick was then tackled by Shadow and sent into the kitchen. Then, A and Dartz were assaulted by Jean and Celand, so they went back to back and began to fend them off. Dartz asked A

"Got any ideas?" A thought for a moment, then said

"One, but you'll have to trust me." Dartz replied

"We're in a tight spot, so let's do it."

"Alright, grab my hand." He did so, and A swung him up. Getting the idea, Dartz kicked Jean and Celand in the face, and after they went down, A set Dartz back on the ground. Dartz looked appreciatively at their work and he said

"Nice plan." A smirked and said

"Thank-" he was immediately tackled by Allen through a wall, and they began to fight. The friendly battle kept going for about an hour and a half. After it was over, everyone was slumped on the floor, tables, chairs, and the bar counter. All of them giving signs of pain. Rick was laying on a poker table, holding his stomach, and saying

"Alright, enough of this! Nice fight everybody! Also, Jean you hit way too hard." Jean laughed and pushed the kitchen door off of his body

"Don't hate the player, hate the game. Ow my back!" Rick looked around and asked

"Where's A?" He received a reply

"Up here! On the chandelier." Rick looked up and saw A hanging by his shirt

"How did you get up there?"

"Allen knocked me off the second floor and I got stuck here. So if it's not too much to ask, could you get me down?" Bolt picked up a glass shard and threw it at A, cutting him down. A landed on his back and everyone stayed down to catch their breath and to recover. Celand then said

"We're going to miss you Rick. Congrats on getting married." Rick replied

"I'm getting married, not leaving the team."

"Oh please! Once you get married, we won't hear much from you." Winston and Lucian then said

"We're married." Celand laughed and said

"And how often do you guys even hang out with us anymore? Hell, Winston you're not even here for most of the time." Winston replied

"Well I'm the only one that doesn't live here. I have to be with my wife." Lucian then said

"Also, don't blame me if I want to spend time with Miranda." Jean then said

"Speaking of which, I wonder what the girls are doing." A shrugged and said

"Probably something way less destructive than what we just did. You know, girl talk and stuff like that." Jean sweatdropped and asked

"You don't know women very well, do you A?" He hung his head and replied

"No..." Everybody laughed, and Rick said

"Well, you'll have to pardon me. I'm going to go see my fiancée." After he left, Jean said

"Alright everybody, I guess we'll see you at the dance for the Rose Festival!" He ran out the door too, which made A confused. Curious, he teleported to the first den and looked around. Soon he found a large area which had been closed off for dancing couples. He looked at the scene for a moment, then said to himself

"This would be the perfect way to make things up to Green... if I knew how to dance." It was true; he couldn't dance. After all, he had lived alone for so many years, and didn't do anything social for the most part. What reason could he have to learn to dance?

Nevertheless, he understood one thing; if he and Green were going to be dating, he needed to learn, if only because she might want to dance on occasion. With that promise in mind, he teleported to the twenty-second den.

**The Day of the Wedding; Illia's Memorial**

The entire area was lavishly decorated, with many streamers, ribbons, and bows. The entire sight was a splash of color on an otherwise blank canvas. A saw many guests, some of which brought both tears to his eyes as well as trepidation, for he saw Cynthia, the current Champion of Sinnoh, Jasmine, the Steel-type gym leader of Olivine City, and Dawn, the ever present bluenette during his Sinnoh reign.

There were also plenty of other guests, namely the team, friends of the royal family, and A even recognized one or two of the Knights.

In a glorious flash of brilliant light, Arceus appeared at the minister's stand with more Knights in tow. A grinned as he saw his liege showing off his greatest warriors, whether anyone knew it or not. Green leaned over and whispered to him

"More of the Knights?" A nodded and replied in a hushed voice

"There are thirteen of us in total." Green nodded and sat back in her seat, not saying another word. In time, the orchestra started, and all the little boys and girls stepped forward, everybody adoring them. Then the bride's song began, and everybody stood to watch. Some were taking pictures, but Green and A simply watched the procession, growing more sentimental as they did.

For a moment, A closed his eyes and thought about him being up on the altar instead, with Green walking up to him. The fantasy gave him a thrill, but he quickly came out of his dreamworld to focus on reality. Arceus began the traditional 'giving away of the bride'.

"So who gives this woman to be married to this man?" Saifer smiled and said

"Her father does, Milord, and does her mother, family, and friends."

Rick then walked up to them and took Alara's arm to take her from her father. Alara however signaled Rick to give her a moment and went back to hug her father. Saifer slightly lifter her veil and kissed he on the cheek before walking down and sitting next to his wife. Alara then took Rick's arm and walked in front of Arceus, who then began

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in my sight, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all Pokemon and men. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

They waited for a few seconds to hear if anyone objected. In the audience, Mew and Celebi had their hands clamped on Meloetta's mouth, to stop her from doing anything stupid. Arceus then continued.

"Very well. Marriage is the union of husband and wife in heart, body and mind. It is intended for their mutual joy, and for the help and comfort given on another in prosperity and adversity. But more importantly, it is a means through which a stable and loving environment may be attained. Through marriage, Aeruthael and Alara make a commitment together to face their disappointments, embrace their dreams, realize their hopes, and accept each other's failures. Aeruthael and Alara will promise one another to aspire to these ideals throughout their lives together, through mutual understanding, openness, and sensitivity to each other."

By this point Alara's parents were wiping tears from her eyes and so was Aldira. Xeron was soldiering on, waiting for something to happen to catch his attention. A and Green looked at each other and smiled, happy knowing that their friends were at last going to breach this milestone. Arceus continued

"We are here today, before me, because marriage is one of my most sacred wishes, to witness the joining in marriage of Aeruthael and Alara. This occasion marks the celebration of love and commitment with which this man and this woman begin their life together. And now, through me, I join you together in one of the holiest bonds. This is a beginning and a continuation of their growth as individuals. With mutual care, respect, responsibility and knowledge comes the affirmation of each one's own life, happiness, growth and freedom. With respect for individual boundaries comes the freedom to love unconditionally. Within the emotional safety of a loving relationship, the knowledge self-offered one another becomes the fertile soil for continued growth. With care and responsibility towards self and one another comes the potential for full and happy lives."

Arceus looked at the audience and then said

"By gathering together all the wishes of happiness and our fondest hopes for Aeruthael and Alara from all present here, we assure them that our hearts are in tune with theirs. These moments are so meaningful to all of us, for what greater thing is there for two souls than to feel that they are joined together, to strengthen each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow, to share with each other in all gladness. This relationship stands for love, loyalty, honesty and trust, but most of all for friendship. Before they knew love, they were friends, and it was from this seed of friendship that is their destiny. Do not think that you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, shall direct you."

Arceus looked at Rick and Alara and gave a pleased chuckle.

"Marriage is an act of faith and a personal commitment as well as a moral and physical union between two people. Marriage has been described as the best and most important relationship that can exist between them. It is the construction of their love and trust into a single growing energy of spiritual life. It is a moral commitment that requires and deserves daily attention. Marriage should be a lifelong consecration of the ideal of loving kindness, backed with the will to make it last." Arceus then looked at Rick and said

"Aeruthael, as a husband, you must devote your life for the benefit of your family. Your wife must be the jewel of your life and your children the treasured that result from the union. As a husband, you must always show your love for your wife, so I have commanded. Preserve your honor and your wife's honor, for it is now the same. Do you promise to keep all these terms?" Rick smiled and replied

"I do." Arceus then looked at Alara and said

"Alara, a wife is the very backbone of the husband. The wife has the gift that the husband will never have, and that is the gift of creating life. Your job is to stand by your husband's side and support him in all his endeavors, no matter how ridiculous and stupid they may be. Your job is to nurture and care for your husband. When you bear children, you must nurture them with the same love you have for your husband. Do you agree with these terms?" Alara nodded and then said with a lump in her throat

"I do." Arceus smiled again, then asked them to give their vows. A was touched by what Rick had said, and Green was crying tears of joy by the end of Alara's vows. A had never understood before why many cried at weddings, having never been part of one before. Now he understood better; they were very sentimental and could become highly emotional. When they finished, Arceus nodded to both of them and said

"Very lovely from the both of you. Now to seal this promise." Arceus looked at Rick and asked him

"Do you, Aeruthael, take Alara to be your lawfully wedded wife, and do you promise before me and these witnesses, composed of your friends, family, and colleagues, to love her, to comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health, in wealth and in poverty, for better or for worse; and forsaking all others, keep thee only onto her so long as you both shall live?" Rick looked at Alara and smiled before saying

"I do." Arceus then asked Alara

"Do you, Alara, take Aeruthael to be your lawfully wedded husband, and do you promise before me and these witnesses, composed of your friends, family, and colleagues, to love him, to comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, in wealth and in poverty, for better or for worse; and forsaking all others, keep thee only onto him so long as you both shall live?" Alara fought the urge to cry and replied

"I do."

"You have both now made a promise before my presence." He looked at Rick and asked him

"Aeruthael, what do you give as a token of your love for Alara." Jean walked forward and presented a ring to Rick. Arceus levitated the ring and said

"The ring has always been a symbol of a pack, promise, and a covenant. They were made to seal these promises and insures the trust between the two participants. Notice that the ring is circular, with no beginning or end, which should represents the never-ending love you must have for one another." Arceus gave the ring to Rick and said

"Now repeat after me as you place the ring on Alara's left hand." Arceus began, "With this ring..." Rick repeated as he placed the ring on Alara's finger

"With this ring..."

"I thee wed..." Rick repeated. "And all my worldly good..." Rick repeated. "I thee endow..." Rick repeated. "In the name of my honor..." Rick repeated. "My love..." Rick repeated. "And in the name of Arceus himself..." Rick repeated. "Amen."

Rick repeated; "Amen." Arceus then turned to Alara and said

"And Alara, what do you give as a token of your love for Aeruthael?" Amber then walked up and presented a ring to Arceus, who did the same to this ring as with the last.

"Alara, you will notice that this ring is made of the purest of metals. It will not turn or tarnish with age. It is symbolic of the purity of your love for Aeruthael." He handed Alara the ring and said

"You will take this ring and put it on the ring finger of Aeruthael's left hand, and as you place it there repeat after me: 'With this ring..." Alara repeated as she placed the ring on Rick's finger

"With this ring..."

"I thee wed..." Alara repeated. "And all my worldly good..." Alara repeated. "I thee endow..." Alara repeated. "In the name of my honor..." Alara repeated. "My love..." Alara repeated. "And in the name of Arceus himself..." Alara repeated. "Amen."

Alara repeated; "Amen." Arceus chuckled and then broke into a hearty laugh.

"Now, by the power vested in me by myself and the power of the universe itself, I now pronounce you husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Fenrir. What I have joined together, may no man/pokemon/or unholy being tear asunder. You may now kiss the bride."

Rick wasted no time and quickly lifted Alara's veil off her face and the two got into a passionate kiss. Everyone attending and watching at home cheered as Rick and Alara sealed their marriage with the kiss. Alara then took Rick's arm and a stair case suddenly appeared going directly down onto the aisle.

They walked down it and were cheered on by everyone who was attending. A and Green personally felt closer because of this event, and A knew he wanted to have Green as his wife, but at the same time he wanted to preserve what he had with her. Unable to dwell on the thoughts comfortably, he pushed them aside for later inspection. Then he transformed and grabbed onto Green teleporting them to the location of the reception before they got trampled by the crowd.

Rick and Alara were at their own personal table while everyone else was enjoying their meal made by Leta's family bakery. The bride and groom's parents were in a table near theirs and were ecstatic about finally being one big happy family. Soon Jean got up and said to the people in attendance.

"Well thank you all for coming to support my friends as they tied the knot. As is tradition, and as the best man, I have to give a toast to my best friend. So here's to you Rick! Anyways, umm...I didn't really plan this out...well I've known Rick since he was nine. At that time he was my enemy and then he soon became my best friend. I've been through a lot...I mean A LOT of weird adventures with him. There was even this one time in Vegas-" he was cut off by the team yelling

"NO!" He shouted in response

"Fine! Point is, I've been through thick and thin with him and I hope you have a happy marriage and many kids." Jean received an applause from the crowd. After a few minutes of eating Rick and Alara were called up by Shadow, who was the DJ.

"Time for the bride and groom to have their first dance as a married couple." Rick smiled as Alara led him to the dance floor and they began to dance as Shadow put the song on. Green asked A to dance in a short time, and although he was nervous, he decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately, he had two left feet, and more often than not he stumbled and nearly tipped Green over. For all his training in balance during battle, he was completely inept at maintaining his balance on the dance floor.

After they finished dancing Rick danced with his mom and Alara danced with her father until it was time for Alara to throw the bouquet. As quickly as it was announced, all the single women huddled together and waited for Alara to throw the bouquet. Alara soon positioned herself and saw the girls ready. She then threw the bouquet and as it approached the girls, two long ears pushed then all out of the way and Amber yelled

"It's mine!" She caught the bouquet and received angry looks from the rest of the girls. Green was distinctly disgruntled, as she had been directly pushed aside. Rick and Alara laughed and then Shadow announced

"Alright. All single males get ready for the garter toss. So Alara sit down in that chair in the middle of the dance floor and Rick, reach under your wife's dress and take off the garter." Rick was blushing, but A hadn't heard the entire thing, so he wasn't sure why. Just as he began, A was trying to comfort Green, who in actuality was very pissed off that she had been shoved around.

"Ohh, if only I had powers of my own..." she grumbled. A smirked and nearly burst out laughing, but he held himself in check. As it turned out, Allen had caught the garter, which A was confused about since he hadn't been paying full attention. Shadow laughed and said

"Well, congrats Allen and Amber. Now tradition dictates that the male catches the garter has to put it on the girl who caught the bouquet." Allen then yelled

"You've got to be kidding me!" Lucian yelled at his son

"Ha! Stop whining and do it!" Allen groaned all the way to the chair, where Amber was now sitting. Rick was trying hard to hold back his laughter and then broke down laughing as Allen placed the garter on Amber. Allen then got up and turned around, only to see everyone with cameras. He growled as he sat back down at his table, prompting Rick to laugh again.

A was about to ask Green what the deal was with the garter, but her attention was immediately caught by the announcement of the cake-cutting. As it had a tendency to (as far as A knew) the bride and groom started to dirty each other up with the dessert. However, Xeron put a stop to it and everybody was able to enjoy a piece of the cake, though A didn't have a particular taste for overly sweet things, which the cake was nothing but. Nevertheless, he ate it, and he felt very uplifted by the whole event at its close.

Once the party wound down, A found Green, who was talking to the other female members of the team, and took her back to their den. Tired from the emotional downpour, they headed off to their separate rooms. Before A laid down to sleep, he thought to himself

_"Mrs. Green Ryuto... damn, how I would love to make that a reality."_

**Well, there you go. Hope you enjoyed, and please review!**


	46. Ch 46: A Second Try

**Wazzup, everybody! Well, I've been looking around, and I realize there is no name for the special paring that I've pioneered (and I say that because I appear to be the first to use this) between Michael and Green. Since I was unable to find a name for the relationship, I've decided to give it a name myself, and I am hereby dubbing it ShadowLeafShipping. Let me know what you think of this name, please. Now then, let's begin. Story Spotlight; **_**A Series of Unfortunate Events**_**, by Blazing Sceptile. Ratings; 1st) United States 2nd) United Kingdom 3rd) Singapore 4th) Canada 5th) Philippines.**

It was a week since A had tried to take Green on a date in Hearthome City, in Amity Square, but had failed miserably. The attempt had been ruined by first bikers that tried to kill him (and failed miserably themselves), then his and Green's discomfort with the current generation and their romantic tendencies.

A had felt nothing short of crushing failure, and he planned to wash away his woes the same way he did every morning; with training. Currently, he was taking to fighting large batches of his pokemon all at the same time. He reasoned that it would keep both him and his pokemon in shape while simultaneously strengthening them. Besides which, it helped him keep his senses sharp, which was going to be necessary in upcoming battles, and even in other realms that would be less life-threatening.

He exhaled as he stood on his side of the field, which was actually the middle. On four sides, flanking him, was a motley group of types, the better to challenge him. To his right was Loran, Bruce, and Baxter. To his left was Louie, Bert, his Beheeyem, and Clayton, his Claydol.

In front of him was Dusan, the Chandelure, Woof, and Blaze. Behind him stood Dennis, his Beedrill, Caleb his Bannette, and Alroy, his Accelgor. This variety was meant to test his physical prowess, his special prowess, his agility, and flexibility, all at once. He had at first been content with taking them on one-on-one, and still did so occasionally with Loran, but he also insisted on becoming better, so he began to increase the number of his opponents. This came to tax him a little more, but not by much.

Emboldened, he quickly increased the number of opponents he faced on a regular basis. Today marked the first day he would face twelve opponents at the same time. Green was sitting on the porch, and she apprehensively stated

"Michael, this looks like a really bad idea. Are you sure about this?" He smirked and flashed her a wide grin and a thumbs-up, saying

"You bet! I need to get stronger, and this is the best way!" Green sighed in exasperation, and she argued

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to take a day or two off, but if you exert yourself like this regularly it will." A laughed and said

"Come on, where's your trust in me?" Green facepalmed and replied

"Fine, but I don't want to be held liable if you get hurt." A laughed again and said

"Don't worry, I'll try to take it easy. Now then," he faced his pokemon again, drawing his blades

"Come at me!" Loran, Bruce and Baxter rushed forward, while Louie, Bert and Clayton simultaneously attacked his mind. Dusan, Caleb, and Woof each fired a special attack, and Alroy, Dennis and Blaze waited for an open opportunity. A deflected the mind attacks and retuned them in kind, then jumped up, keeping his mind concentrated on the task, avoiding the special attacks.

Next he lifted his hands, putting his blades away and physically deflecting many of the physical attacks flung at him by the three close-range fighters. He began to fall, and he struck out and flung Baxter into Loran, then grabbed two of Bruce's arms and pinned the other two with his feet against Bruce's body.

He flipped him around and threw him at the Psychics, ending their mental assault as they fled or were hit by the incoming Machamp, and A threw himself into battle against Loran and Baxter. Baxter's steel body proved challenging, but he prevailed by hitting him upside the head with Loran's body, immediately knocking Loran out with the same maneuver.

He threw both of them out of the ring, so to speak, and Rose and Abraham, his Ditto, who was impersonating another Machamp, carried them out to some of his Grass pokemon, including Bloom, his Bellossom, Ivy, and Lily the Liligant. There they were healed due to a combination of Aromatherapy, Synthesis, and Sweet Scent.

Back in the battle, Blaze and Dennis joined the fray to keep the range similar to what it started out as. The Psychics resumed their attack, but A set about weaving all around the field, testing his flexibility and agility. He managed to avoid all the attacks on his mind, of which he was proud, and simultaneously avoid blows but give them back in return.

A shadowy blob caught his attention, and he recognized a Shadow Ball. He smirked and drew a blade, charging a Night Slash. He halved the sphere and sent them flying to two of the Psychics at random. Focused as they were on their task of subduing him mentally, they failed to notice the projectiles.

The result was two fainted Psychic pokemon. They too were carried away from the battlefield, and Alroy joined the battle, somewhat restoring the battle numbers. A decided the time for avoiding and defending was done, so he charged a Shadow Ball in each hand and ducked and weaved throughout until he suddenly launched one at Dusan, and the second at the last Psychic, which was Bert. They both went down and were dismissed from battle. A smirked and threw himself forward, activating a Psycho Cut and Leaf Blade on each blade, putting a corkscrew spin on himself to keep his momentum going.

With the Psycho Cut he lashed out at Blaze, and he nailed Caleb with the Leaf Blade. Blaze went down but Caleb remained standing, though barely. A coiled his legs and jumped back in one fluid motion, in the span of a second, and fired both a Night Slash and Psycho Cut at Caleb and Dennis. They connected, and while Caleb went down, Dennis managed to hang on, but soon fell over in exhaustion.

Now down to Woof and Alroy, they went all out. Woof used ExtremeSpeed while Alroy used his already prodigious speed to get in a couple Agilities, which made him barely visible. A smirked and jumped up high, his head facing the ground and he spread his legs and Woof sailed between them. He clamped down, catching Woof in between and knocking the wind out of him, after a whirlwind of motion, he faced upright with Woof held in his arms. Woof struggled but couldn't escape. A positioned his right arm delicately on Woof's throat while his left arm went around his middle.

Alroy appeared in a blur of motion, five feet in front of them with a bemused expression. Woof briefly shouted to him

"Run!" but was cut off when A applied pressure with his middle finger and thumb, then squeezed his middle. Immediately flames spurted out of Woof's mouth, catching the surprised bug in the line of fire, literally, and knocking him out hot, rather than cold. Alroy fell back to the ground but was caught by Rose's power before being gently levitated to his fellows.

A bopped Woof on the head hard enough to daze him but not knock him out completely. He crashed into the ground and wobbled up to his feet unsteadily, and A landed both gracefully and exuding an aura of confidence and power. He smirked and drew out his blades, asking Woof

"You are the last one to face me today. Tell me, do you have a plan?" Woof laughed and responded wearily

"Not really. This was over before it really started. You're one tough guy to beat." A chuckled and replied

"Thanks for the compliment. So, am I to assume you're forfeiting." Woof chuckled lightly and said

"Nope. I'm done." His eyes rolled up in his head and he fainted, A catching him before he struck the ground again. He chuckled again and carried Woof to the "medics" himself, telling those who had woken up

"That was a good match. Thank you for the battle." Those who were conscious at the time inclined their heads toward their beloved master, and A sighed in contentment as Green walked up, shaking her head and saying

"You're brutal, you know that?" A chuckled and replied

"Not always. I'm just a powerful adversary." Rose then asked

"So, how much of your power were you using in this fight?" A thought for a moment, then said

"I'd estimate about a quarter. I wasn't going full speed or strength, and I didn't use any of Savior's power during this battle." Rose shook her head and said

"Then any trainers who come for you better be ready to lose. Not only do you command a varied and incredibly strong army, but you yourself are as strong as any army. It's a wonder that this Alpha character is stronger than you." A frowned momentarily and said

"There are plenty others, besides him, whose power exceeds my own. But I won't get into details I can't overcome at the moment." Rose nodded and returned to her work, fixing up her mate at the moment. A said

"I'm going to take a quick shower, then we'll try to work out the rest of the day." A teleported back inside, and Green took this moment to ask Rose

"Do you have any idea what might be wrong with him? He seems more depressed since we got back from Hearthome, and I think there's a connection." Rose nodded and said

"Yes, he believes he is a failure because he wasn't able to take you out on as nice a date as he would have preferred, that he thinks you deserved." Green sighed and ran a hand through her long brown hair, responding

"Well, you win some you lose some. That's life, and even the strongest warriors have to lose occasionally." Loran, who had just revived, but knew the conversation through Rose, said

"Perhaps, but he's a real stickler against losing, and he feels monumentally worse for doing so, especially after a particularly long winning streak." Green thought for a moment, then asked

"Is there anything I can do as an individual to make him turn around? Or perhaps catch his interest more prominently?" Rose and Loran looked at each other, then Rose asked

"Do you mean as in change something about yourself that would catch his interest?" Green nodded and replied

"Yeah, that's the gist of it." Louie then told her

"You're pretty much as far as you're going to get, lass." Green frowned and asked

"What do you mean?" The older Alakazam chuckled, then said

"You don't think he randomly pointed his finger for a girl to fall in love with, do you? No, you already had traits that he was interested in which endeared you to him."

"Such as?"

"Well, in the realm of personality, you are soft-spoken but can easily be firm when you need to be, strong-willed, and yet very loving, all at once. He certainly finds beauty in that." Green looked at the ground for a moment, then asked

"What about physical appearance?" Louie placed a hand to his chin and thought for a moment, then said

"Well, the only thing I can really think of with significance is long hair. For some reason, he's always found more attraction in long-haired girls than shorter-haired girls. He doesn't care too much what shade of hair a girl has, though he is somewhat partial to stranger colors, and he doesn't give a hoot about eye color. In most every aspect, you are the ideal girl for him. Perhaps you two are significant others, eh?" Green blushed slightly and said

"I'd love to believe that, but the stark differences between us just seem to keep us apart." Louie cackled and said

"That's something you need to work on, then!" Rose shot him a harsh look and he promptly shut up. Louie was older and more experienced than Rose, but nobody doubted her power. In fact, she was one of A's go-to pokemon. Green asked the Gardevoir as she stood to move on to the next patient

"Can you help me? Any of you? Surely you care about your master enough that you wish for him to find happiness with another?" Rose faced her with burning determination and said

"Of course we do! The problem we have, though, is that he believes himself to be self-sufficient, so he wants to do things his way on his own schedule." Green crossed her arms and asked

"And how well has that worked out?" Rose laughed and replied

"When he's determined to accomplish something, very well. If his attention is unwavering, he can wrap things up in a matter of weeks, or even days!" Green's eyebrows raised and she asked

"Is he really that powerful that he can make his dreams a reality?" Rose hesitated now, and she responded

"Well, to an extent. After all, he tried for ten years to find you before giving up altogether. He became more heartbroken with every failure, and he had a tendency to fall into a very depressive state when he did. After his sister died-" she shuddered, then picked up her thread of thought

"It was something I hadn't felt in a long, long time, and never want to feel again. He was so overridden with guilt, he nearly died himself. Not out of suicide, mind you, but simply because he wouldn't eat and couldn't sleep. We had to nurse him back to health on more than one occasion." Green frowned and asked

"Am I going to have to worry about that at some point?" Rose shrugged helplessly and told her

"I don't know. With you there, he might find things easier to deal with, but something very large might tip him over the edge, and you could find yourself in a very bad spot. He'll never take his anger out on anybody but what caused it in the first place, but the depression that follows could make the biggest optimist start doubting himself." Green thought for a moment, then asked

"What if something happened to me?" Rose appeared wary and asked

"What exactly do you mean?" Green thought for a moment, then asked

"Okay, what if I was injured by something or somebody? Then, how would he be if I was killed?" Rose sighed, then told her dully

"If it was only injury, he would brutally beat whatever had harmed you. If you were killed, he would torture whatever had done so. Such is the strength of the love he feels for you, and for us as well." Green held out a hand and said

"So, wait, if that happened to any of you, he would go on a blood rage, then fall into a deep mire of depression?" Rose nodded and said

"That's it in a nutshell. He will bypass anger, though, if we die of natural causes and instead go into his depressive state. There's nothing we can do about that, however, so you might have to prepare yourself for some difficult trials if you insist on maintaining a relationship with him. I sincerely hope you do; he has needed a significant other for quite some time, and I believe that you will fulfill that role for him. I understand that it will be difficult, but we all have our ups and downs. If nothing else, he will be devoted to you and never look at another girl in anything but a platonic way. All his reserved affection will be given to you." Green hesitated, then said

"I want to help him change for the better, but I can't do it alone." Rose nodded and said

"I understand, and you won't have to. While we are still around and fighting, we will do whatever it takes to make sure he gets the happiness he deserves, which he wants and believes he can have with you." At that moment, A walked out of the mansion, and he asked

"Having a nice conversation?" Green put a smile on her face and turned to meet him, saying

"Yep! So, what are we going to do today?" A looked at the ground in contemplation, and he said

"I'm not sure... I've been trying to think of a good place to go, especially after last week, but not much comes to mind." One of his Grass pokemon, his Cherrim, floated up and said

"I have an idea, master; why not go to Floaroma? It's beautiful this time of year, and the flowers are sure to be in bloom!" A frowned and plucked her from the air, eliciting a brief but profound giggle, and he said

"How many times do I have to say not to call me master? Just call me Alpha, okay?" The Cherrim giggled again, and A threw her back up in the air, where she floated and giggled once more, saying

"Okay Alpha! But my suggestion is still valid, you know." A placed a hand to his chin, then said musingly

"Floaroma, huh?" Then he shrugged and said

"What the heck? Can't be any worse than Amity Square was. What do you say, Green?" She simply nodded her assent, and he placed a hand gently on her shoulder, then said to Rose

"Same drill as before; you're in charge until I get back." Rose nodded and they teleported away. The first thing they noticed was the air, which had become noticeably more aromatic. There was a gentle breeze which carried this, and A and Green spent a moment to inhale it. Then A got his bearings back and transformed back into a human before any other humans caught sight of him.

They walked forward and spotted a little town that was awash in color due to all the flower gardens and wild flowers that grew and were tended to. Green's eyes sparkled at the sight, and she said

"Wow, I've never seen so many flowers at once!" A chuckled and said

"Then you might want to cover your eyes." She looked up at him suspiciously and asked

"Why?" He chuckled again and said

"Just trust me." She still suspicious, but more playfully than anything else. She closed her eyes and allowed A to grab her hand and lead her through the town, taking her where she knew not.

When A let go of her hand, she stumbled forward slightly but still didn't open her eyes. For a moment, she was in a state of worry, but the scent of the air, so strong it could practically be tasted, relaxed her easily. Then she heard A's voice.

"Okay, you can open them now." She opened her eyes, and they were immediately assaulted with every color imaginable; blue, red, yellow, green, white, orange, purple, pink, nearly everything except black and brown was visible. Her eyes were as wide as many of the petals on the flowers, and her mouth nearly hung fully agape. A laughed at her expression and came up to her, picking his feet high up over the flowers. He gently grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

It took a moment for her to regain her footing, but once she had she ran alongside him, through the meadow of flowers. It could have been a scene out of a romance movie, except A had never seen any. But Green had.

And she remarked inwardly how much this resembled one for them; a man who had led a dangerous and unpredictable life, filled with much strife and downturns at the worst times. In contrast, she was a simple girl who had led a fairly average life, yet managed to catch the eye of one of the more remarkable people on this earth she called home. Who could deny the uniqueness of the situation?

For a while they enjoyed the view and aroma of the flowers together, eventually flopping in the middle of the field and laughing away. After a time, Green asked

"Hey, Michael?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you think we should do next?" He thought for a moment, then asked back

"Well, what do you think?" Green giggled after a moment and said

"I don't know this region. I thought you'd know." A chuckled for a moment, then said

"Well, I think we might be able to find something. Why don't we check to see if there's anything to do in Floaroma, or maybe some sort of news?" Green nodded and A stood, helping her up. Then they walked together back to the aromatic town, which was less so than the meadows. They looked around but found a distinct lack of people. Curious, they visited the local Pokemon Center and A asked the nurse

"Where is everybody? I thought this town was full of nature-lovers and whatnot." The nurse then asked

"Oh, you haven't heard?"

"About that?" The nurse bent down for a moment, then pulled out a brightly covered flyer and handed it to them. Then she said

"Sunnyshore is hosting a carnival on its local beach. It started a couple of days ago, and it ends tonight. I suggest going, since it has all sorts of fun things couples can enjoy together." She looked between them for a moment, then asked hesitantly

"You _are _a couple, right?" A grinned and pulled her closer, then said proudly

"Yep!" Green giggled for a moment, then the nurse seemed to sigh in relief.

"Okay then, I didn't mess up. I have the worst luck when it comes to that. But yeah, you should really check it out. And I'd go soon, it will only be open for another ten hours, which is actually less time than you think, especially considering you have to get there." A chuckled, knowing he had a handy shortcut. He thanked the nurse and he and Green walked out. A asked Green

"What do you think?" Green giggled and said

"I think it sounds like fun! We should go for it!" A grinned and led her back to the meadows, where he transformed back into a human and teleported them to Sunnyshore City, or close to it anyway. They walked on until they went past it, where A recounted his battle against Volkner for Green and the depressing state he had been going through at the time, which indeed he might be now.

Then they spotted some tall structures, which he assumed belonged to the carnival itself. He and Green picked up the pace and soon found the mobile amusement park. It had some displays, a couple of small tournaments, even a smaller version of Contests. Towering over it all, though, was a bungee jumping piece, and the ferris wheel.

First off, A and Green went to the admittance booth, where they got all-day passes (with A paying, of course), then went excitedly inside. The first stop they made was at a smaller roller coaster. A wondered how long it took to set these up; perhaps they had pokemon to help them. He frowned somewhat at the thought, then shrugged and thought

_"As long as they're not abusing them, I suppose there's no harm."_ They went on the ride and enjoyed the brief ride it gave before climbing off and wandering around. They grabbed a bit of shishkabob with berries as the choice meal. They enjoyed the smoky flavor of the berries that had been cooked and smoked over a Toarkoal fire. A had to see if he could get something similar back in his den.

Once they finished that, they looked around for a bit longer. A's attention was caught by the tall tower that was meant for prospective bungee jumpers, and he grinned widely. He nudged Green and motioned to it, saying

"I'm feeling a bit like a daredevil. What about you?" She looked up at the daunting height and shivered briefly, then said

"Not me. I don't think I would like to go up that high." A smirked and nudged her, saying

"Come on, what's the harm?" Green shook her head and said

"Sorry, but my mind's made up. I'm not going on that thing." A smirked again and said

"Well, I am. Can you hold onto Savior for me?" Green hesitated, then asked

"But won't he kill me?" A chuckled, surprising her for a moment before he said

"He didn't when I handed him to you for safekeeping against those thugs, right?" Green thought about this for a minute before realizing he was right. Then A asked

"So, can I count on you?" She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. A smiled and unbuckled Savior's belt, then handed it to her to wrap around her hip. She hesitated again, but put it around herself, and A looked at her for a moment before saying

"That sword looks good on you." Green blushed for a moment, then said

"It's better on you." A smiled at her, then they resumed walking toward the bungee jumping attraction. A paid his way in, and he ascended the steps to the top. There were various levels, but A was feeling particularly daring today. Perhaps it was because the love of his life was down below? He smirked to himself and thought

_"Well, if that's the case, I might as well go all out."_ He made it to the top and was met with the assistant, who then proceeded to strap the bungee cord to his leg. He checked over A to make sure he didn't have any loose items that might get lost, but A assured him he had already taken care of that. Then he told him to wait a couple of minutes before jumping, and to make it memorable. A smirked, knowing that wouldn't be hard.

After the coast had been cleared, and the assistant gave him the go-ahead, A took a brief running start before jumping out, tucking his arms in close before tumbling down, and at the last moment spread his limbs out and whooping in pure joy, enjoying the feeling of bouncing up and down, turning and twisting with the wind as his bounces decreased in strength until he was finally lowered onto the safety net below, where some other assistants removed the cord from his ankle. He grinned as he leapt back up and alit on the ground, then walked up to Green and said

"Man, that was fun! It's too bad you're not tempted." Green shivered again and said

"Sorry, but unless I can see what's holding me up, I really don't like heights." A shrugged and said

"Alright, fair enough. So, what should we do next?" Green took Savior's belt off her body and handed him back to A, and while he busied himself with that, Green said

"Why don't we get some dinner?" A agreed, and after he buckled Savior back around his hips, which Green said looked more natural, they began walking from booth to booth, searching for a decent, not-so-greasy meal. They eventually found it with more of those berry shishkabobs, and A promised to get her a better meal when they got back to the den.

Once they finished, A wondered again what they could do. They still had a couple of hours before the carnival closed, as well as before A would be forcibly transformed back into a Gallade.

The next thing they did was the bottle toss, where A had to knock a small stack of bottles over and win a prize. He spotted the booth and smirked, then said to Green

"Say, any of those prizes over there interest you?" Green looked them over, and she grinned and said

"Perhaps. But why don't you see if you can take a guess?" A looked them over, and he grinned when he saw the one in particular he believed Green would like. He walked over with her and asked

"How much is that one?", pointing over to the prize he believed Green had her eyes on. The clerk looked over and grinned, then said

"Wise choice, my friend. You need to knock down three of these stacks to win it. Care to test your luck?" A chuckled and replied

"I've tested my luck more times than I care to count, but I don't see any harm in this gamble." The clerk smirked and placed three balls on the counter, then stepped back. A picked up the first of the balls and took careful aim. He threw the ball and easily took down the first stack of bottles. He smirked and picked up the second ball, and with unerring precision knocked down the second stack. He picked up the last ball and was particularly careful here; it required nothing short of perfection now, and he was loathe to screw it up.

After he was certain, he hurled the ball and took down the last stack of bottles. Green cheered when they fell over, and the clerk reappeared and congratulated him, then covertly pointed out the one A had motioned to earlier. A confirmed it and took it down, then handed it over to A. He smirked and thanked the man, then walked off with Green, making sure to keep it hidden.

Eventually she pestered him into showing her what he got, and he held out a small, life-sized heart-shaped pokemon. Green's eyes sparkled and she grabbed it, saying

"Wow, good guess!" A chuckled and asked her

"Do you know which pokemon that is?" Green sweatdropped, then laughed nervously and said

"Okay, you got me there. It was really the shape and color that got to me." A chuckled himself, then began to explain to her

"That's a Luvdisc. They're native to the Hoenn region, and a certain little myth surrounds that pokemon." Green looked up at him and asked

"Oh? What's that?" A chuckled again and pulled her close, then told her quietly

"Those who give a Luvdisc to someone are destined to be with them." He pulled back and saw her blushing, and he said

"But it's only a myth." She smiled nervously, and A looked around again, his eye catching the ferris wheel. He looked at a clock, showing they had about an hour left. He smirked and said

"Wanna go on the ferris wheel?" Green appeared slightly apprehensive, and A gave her a reassuring squeeze before saying

"Hey, don't worry; you can see what's holding you up on there, and you can still see the amazing sights." Green seemed apprehensive still, and she asked

"You'll be with me, won't you?" He smiled broadly and replied

"Definitely. So, whattya say?" After a moment of deliberation, Green agreed to it. So they walked over and stood in the short line for about ten minutes before they managed to grab a car for themselves. The door closed and Green gulped nervously, which made A nearly burst out with suppressed mirth. The ride started with a slight clattering, and Green squeaked, holding tight to her Luvdisc plush. A couldn't help but chuckle, and Green asked

"What's so funny?" A shook his head and smiled at her, then said

"Nothing, nothing. I just find it a bit strange that you seem to be afraid of heights." Green frowned and said

"I don't 'seem' to be afraid of heights, I _am _afraid of heights!" A's smile faded and he leaned forward as he asked

"Why?" Green shrugged and said

"You'd think it's stupid." A smirked and leaned back, then said

"Try me." Green hesitated for a moment, then consented and began to relate her story.

"Well, back when I was starting my journey, after I got Leaf, I was walking through Viridian Forest, feeling amazingly at peace, until I heard this incessant buzzing. I looked around and saw there was a swarm of Beedrill coming after me. So I high-tailed it as fast as I could. Unfortunately, I wasn't watching where I was going very well, and while I was looking back to see if I had lost them, when I took another step, I fell right off a cliff. Luckily, there were massive amounts of leaves which helped break my fall, but when I saw the distance I had fallen, I shuddered and thought about how much worse off I would have been if those trees hadn't been there for me."

A considered her tale for a moment, and she finished with

"Ever since then, I've been afraid of heights, especially if I can't see what's supporting me, or not supporting me." A paused for moment, then sighed and said

"Well, you're not the strangest case in the world. Plenty of people don't like heights. My sister is actually a good example." Green frowned in thought, then asked

"Jovi?" A nodded and said

"Exactly. She didn't like heights any more than you do, but she managed to overcome her fear." Green tilted her head and asked

"How so?" A chuckled and told her

"Well, she liked putting her thoughts down but didn't really care for other people reading them. So she sought out refuge in Dr. Kaminko's house, on a gridded landing of sorts whose transportation system consisted of small cranes on the ceiling. I went there because I was searching for items that might have helped me in my campaign against Cipher. What I wound up finding were her notes." Green frowned and asked

"You didn't read them, did you?" A hesitated, then said

"Well, not at first. But I returned home one night, tired like you wouldn't believe, and I was going to bed. But I found Jovi on my bed, with her little Plusle and Minun. The two pokemon were asleep, but she looked like she was having a bad dream. I shook her a little, and she started talking in her sleep. She spoke about how she didn't want me to leave again." Green's eyes were reflecting the lights from Sunnyshore City as she held them wide open, and A continued

"After that, I sat in my chair that I kept in front of the computer for the night. I woke up before anyone else, including her, and I left her a note, explaining that I would rather have been home, playing with her, but I had to defeat Cipher first. Then in a moment of weakness, I went back to read what she had written down. She really missed me while I was on my campaign, and I regretted putting her through so much. I could only imagine how my mother felt." Green hesitate, then said

"You're lucky to have had such a caring sister." A nodded in agreement and said

"I was. I just wish I hadn't been so blind then. More than that, though, I wish I could apologize to her, for everything." Their car was filled with silence for a moment, then the whole ferris wheel came to a screeching halt, rocking the car and scaring Green while confusing A. Then there was a brief amount of static, coming from a speaker set in the top of the car.

"Dammit! Is this thing on?" The voice cleared its throat, then said

"We're sorry folks, but the ferris wheel is experiencing some technical delays. We'll get the problem fixed as soon as we can. Please remain calm while we rectify the problem. Thank you." More static, and the announcement was finished. A sighed and leaned back, then looked out the window. He saw they were at the highest point, the top, and decided not to point it out to Green. Unfortunately, she had to ask

"So, where are we?" A hesitated nervously, then told her

"We're at the top of the ride." Green sank into her seat and whimpered nervously. A got up and went over to her seat, then pulled her into a one-armed hug. She snuggled into him, looking for safety, and he said

"Well, nothing we can do now but wait." Green nodded nervously, and A tried to think of a way to pick up her morale.

_"Perhaps the best way is to help her overcome her fear" _he reasoned with himself. He looked out the window and saw the glow of the city that resided close to them, and he said

"You know, there's really not much to fear without a base." Green looked up at him in confusion and said

"But I have a base." A thought for a moment, then asked her

"Did it happen more than once?" Green thought for a moment herself, then said reluctantly

"No, just that once." A nodded and said

"Then it sounds like your fear isn't entirely groundless, but rather cautious." Green frowned and asked

"What do you mean?" A stood up and walked over to the window, looking outside. Then he drew a deep breath and told her

"You had a nerve-wracking experience once, and you never wanted to have an encounter like that again. So your mind convinced you that you were afraid of heights, so you would go to great lengths to avoid them. But it's really a case of mind over matter; if you see that you have nothing to fear from heights themselves, then perhaps you can lose your supposed fear of them." After letting his words sink in for a moment, he held out his hand to her. She hesitated for a moment, then slowly took it and stood. A gently but firmly pulled her to him, and he held her close to reassure her he wouldn't let anything happen to her. For a moment, she was still reluctant to peer outside. But eventually she turned her eyes up and gazed out to the brightly glowing city, and once she did she couldn't stop.

"Whoa..." A smirked and said

"See? You can find all sorts of amazing things if you look hard, deep, or far enough. And anybody can overcome their fear, if they believe hard enough, or have someone to help them along the way." She turned her eyes back up at him with a satisfied smile on her face, and A couldn't help but feel radiating joy. Then Green giggled a bit and said

"You know, this is just like a chick-flick." A's smirk disappeared, to be replaced with confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for the most part, this day has been concerned about the growing romance between an extraordinary male and an average female counterpart. We spent the day together, running through the meadow, coming to the carnival, you showed off a bit, went and won a ball toss to give me a plush toy, then convinced me to come onto the ferris wheel, and even helped me overcome a fear. That just sounds like the definition of a chick-flick to me." A chuckled, then said

"Maybe, but I think we forgot one part." Green looked up to him in confusion and asked

"And what would that be?" He smiled and cupped her soft, warm cheek, then leaned in and said softly

"This."

And he kissed her. He moved in and pressed his lips gently against hers. For a moment, she didn't react. Then, without any warning at all, she kissed him back, but he wasn't displeased. They stood there like that for nearly a minute, and A inhaled her enticing scent, one that reminded him of Oran berries for some reason. But again, he wasn't displeased.

After the minute, the ferris wheel clanked and began to move again, and they broke apart in surprise. Green blushed and sat back down, and feeling ashamed with himself for making such a bold move in so short a time, he too sat back down and mumbled

"Sorry." She surprised him by asking clearly

"For what?" He looked up at her in shock for a moment, and she seemed genuinely confused. He shook his head and said

"For moving in on you like that so quickly." He looked back out the window, and was once again shocked when she said

"What, you think I didn't enjoy that?" He turned his head back to her, and she was smiling widely. Without at first realizing it, he began to grin, and Green said

"Sure, it was a bit of a surprise, but a pretty good one I think. And it certainly made for a memorable first kiss." A felt nothing short of ecstatic, and he knew already that this relationship would go far. How far? He couldn't say yet, but he certainly hoped it would only grow.

When they got off the ferris wheel, A handed a fifty to the guy who was running the ferris wheel, and although the man was beyond confused, A walked off before he could give the money back.

He and Green left the carnival and went deep into the woods so A could transform back into a Gallade and teleport them to the twenty-second den. He teleported them into the hallway of that led to their bedrooms. He transformed back into a human and told Green

"Well, despite it being a movie cliché, I think this was one of our better dates." Green giggled and clutched her plush Luvdisc tighter, then said

"Yeah, me too." He placed a hand under her chin and angled her face to him, kissing her once more. This time, Green didn't hesitate to return the kiss, and while it felt as exciting as the first, they knew they had to break apart sometime.

And they did, after a minute, but it felt like a lifetime to A, and he wished it could have lasted twice as long. Green blushed and smirked, then waved goodnight to him as she disappeared into her room. A fell back against his door, still feeling her lips against his, her scent in his nostrils, and he wished it really could have lasted forever.

Coming out of dreamland, or candyland, or perhaps a mix of both, he walked into his own room and allowed himself to be transformed back into a Gallade, then went to sleep on the comfortable bed that seemed all the more inviting.

**Alright... this has to be... the best romance scene... I've EVER written! I hope you guys feel the same! Let me know soon, m'kay?**


	47. Ch 47: A Time To Reminisce, To Reveal

**Well, here we are again! And after a long wait, I'm finally going to work on the results of that poll I put up a couple of months ago. The winners were Loran and One of Umbra's Children, so I'm going to pick one of them at random. Truth is, though, I already picked. Oh well, let's begin! Story Spotlight, **_**Neglected**_**, by Chain of Shadow. Ratings; 1****st****) United States 2****nd****) Australia 3****rd****) Sweden 4****th****) Philippines 5****th****) Isle of Man.**

A was waiting out on his porch for the return of Rose as Scott, as he had sent them out for another progress report. While he waited, he started thinking about his successful date with Green. By far, he felt the happiest he had since he saw her on the beach originally. But this trounced it by a long shot.

Said girl on his mind came out to join him, sitting next to him and saying

"Thinking happy thoughts?" He chuckled and said

"Oh, yeah…" She giggled for a moment, then leaned back in her chair, saying

"Could you imagine us someday, being old and retired, just sitting out on our porch and watching the sunset together?" A's good mood faltered a bit, and he told her

"How I wish I could… but I have eternal youth now, so I won't age like normal humans. If I'm right, neither will you. Besides," he leaned back, placing his hands behind his head

"You and I are already old. We just don't look it." Green was somewhat troubled by his words, and she knew already that had sent his thoughts in the wrong direction. In an attempt to get him happy again, she asked

"Hey Michael? Why don't you tell me about a couple of your pokemon?" He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and asked

"Who do you want to know about?" Green thought for a moment, then asked

"You seem to have an extensive history with Loran. Why don't you explain him a bit more?" A chuckled, then said

"Alright. Let's see… well, I caught him in Orre originally as a shadow pokemon. A Shadow Ralts, to be more specific. He was one of the easier shadow pokemon to purify, both because of his age and his willingness to be purified. He craved to be able to feel again, and I gave him that chance." Green frowned in confusion and asked

"But you couldn't have evolved him into a Gallade in Orre, could you?" A shook his head and confirmed

"Not at the time, no. And I wondered if I should evolve him, too, since he was fairly eager to please me by fighting alongside me, to show gratitude for freeing him from his shackles to Cipher."

"Aww, that's sweet." A simply nodded and continued his narrative.

"But I was uncertain at the time. I wasn't worried so much about how he would turn out; rather, I worried about how he would cope socially. Gardevoir are notoriously feminine in appearance, and I thought that Loran would suffer because of that if I evolved him. Then when I found Rose in Hoenn, I knew evolving him could just lead to trouble." Now Green appeared apprehensive, and she asked

"So how did you evolve him here in Sinnoh?" A shifted in his seat, then answered"

"Well, I had just finished my battle with Maylene, and I noticed one of her side pokemon was strangely shaped and colored, appearing in looks like a Gardevoir, or some further evolution of Kirlia, and I asked her what it was. Then she told me about the pokemon named Gallade, which are exclusively male and only evolve from Kirlia with a Dawn Stone. Luckily for me, I had picked up a couple of those already, so I quickly went to a Pokecenter and called home. I asked to receive my Ralts and Snorunt." Green frowned again and asked

"Snorunt?" A grinned and replied

"The Froslass you should know as Theya." Green's eyes widened now, and A laughed. Then he continued

"Yes, I ordered them both in and soon I had them. I took them both out, and since they were both once shadow pokemon and had developed senses they almost immediately knew who I was. They tackled me in a hug and it was at that point I noticed that Loran had already evolved into a Kirlia, which made my job easier. They soon calmed down enough, I returned them, and I started back out on my journey." He looked out on the horizon, sighing in contentment, then picked back up.

"Shortly after we left Driftveil City, once I had uncovered Team Galactic's base there, I brought them both back out and began to talk with them. And I spoke about how I could evolve them into something else if they wanted. They were obviously confused…"

**Flashback/ seventy-eight years ago…**

Lucas was walking down the route, and when Driftveil had become a blotchy blur behind them, he unclipped two balls from his belt and held them out, saying

"Come on out, guys." Two flashes of white light erupted from the capsules, settling on the ground to reveal Loran and Theya. He crouched in front of the two happy pokemon, and he said

"Alright guys, now listen. I've recently learned about two new evolutions for each of you, so if you-" he pointed at Loran, "-don't want to become a Gardevoir, and you-" he motioned at Theya, "-don't want to be a Glalie, there are other options for you both. Oddly enough, you two require the same stone _and _your next evolutions are gender-specific. So," he stood, putting a hand in his pocket, drawing out two small stones, both the exact same shade of bright turquoise, and each having a bright ten-pointed star.

"This is what you each need to evolve. Loran, you will become what's known as a Gallade, which is a physical fighter as opposed to Gardevoir." He drew out his Pokedex and flipped through the pictures until he landed on the Gallade profile. He crouched again and showed it to Loran, who seemed to grow excited about it. He nodded his head and shouted out his specie's name, as was the wont of pokemon. Lucas grinned and said happily

"That sounds like a yes to me. Now then, Theya, you will become a Froslass, which looks like this." He switched the profiles again and tilted it so the Snorunt could see. She blushed at the appearance of the snow lady, and Lucas grinned at her and asked genially

"Beautiful, huh?" Theya nodded, which was a strange gesture for the Ice Hat Pokemon, in agreement. Lucas chuckled once again and put away his Pokedex, asking

"So, you two are amenable to evolving this way?" The two friends-in-circumstance looked at each other for a moment, and they both grinned, then turned back to their beloved master and nodded once more. Lucas grinned and brought out the two Dawn Stones, then handed one to each, saying

"Happy evolving." Instantly the two were awash in a bright light, and even as he watched, Loran's figure grew slim and tall, the tutu shrinking into his body along with his hair, but something seemed to grow from the back of his head, curling over his head but stopping halfway.

Theya's ice hat seemed to wrap over her body, arms pushed out from the sides of a bulb that was growing at the top, and she began to float into the air. When the light wore off, what was revealed was a happy, healthy Gallade and a bright, beautiful Froslass. They each took the time to look themselves and each other over, evidently delighted with their new forms. Lucas gave them plenty of time for their observations, and when they turned their attention back to him he said

"Good job, you two! Now everyone back home will get a surprise when we return, but that won't be for a while. You two are joining me for my Sinnoh reign, okay?" They cheered simultaneously, and Lucas grinned. Then he said

"Alright, now we may get a new member or not, depending on what I can swing from the old lineup." Theya and Loran looked at each other in evident confusion, but Lucas laughed and said

"You'll understand what I mean later. For now, return." They complied, and Lucas set off once again, checking his Pokedex for the new data entered on his pokemon.

**Present…**

A sighed contentedly again as he sat back, remembering the good times he had with old team members. Green was no less than stunned.

"Wow… they trusted you so much that they almost instantly wanted you to evolve them… that's impressive." A laughed, then told her

"Well, when you treat your pokemon right, they'll work with you. Treat 'em with respect, they'll respect you back. Love them and they'll love you. Work for them, and they'll work for you." Green nodded and said

"Words to live by." She thought for a moment, then asked

"What about Umbra's children?" A raised an eyebrow and asked

"Which one? He had six." Green considered it for a moment, then mused

"What about that Grass Eeveelution? She's kind of a mystery to me." A raised both eyebrows and replied

"Ivy? Oh, she was a hard nut to crack, let me tell you…"

"Please do." After a smirk of amusement, A said

"Alright then…"

**Flashback/ seventy-eight years ago…**

Lucas was once again prowling the floor of the Pokemon Center, thinking very hard. He had now learned about two new Eeveelutions, one of which clearly appealed to one of the last two of Umbra's unevolved children. But the other… that one was a bit more difficult. Finally he hit up home on the telecommunicator, and his little sister, Jovi, answered it.

"Big brother! Jovi wasn't expecting you to call so soon! How's Sinnoh?" Lucas, aka Michael, chuckled a bit before answering her

"It's pretty cool, sis! Got another team to deal with, but you know how it is." Jovi's normally bright face fell, and she asked

"Another one? How many fights is big brother going to get himself into before he finally relaxes?" Michael (Lucas) sighed before saying

"Sis, you know how this curse is. It seems my portion is being attacked by hordes of enemies endlessly. I don't think anybody in our family history has seen that yet." Jovi rolled her eyes and said

"Daddy went to pick the fights; with big brother, the fight comes to you." Lucas grinned now, then went to business.

"Jovi, is Umbra there, along with his two unevolved children?" Jovi looked around, saying

"Jovi is not sure. Jovi can look for them, if big brother can wait." Lucas grinned and nodded, telling her

"Go ahead. I don't have anything planned for today." Jovi grinned and hopped off her seat. The top of her blue head just poked out on the screen, and she shouted, slightly muffled

"Be right back, big brother!" Lucas chuckled and waited for fifteen minutes before Jovi hopped back onto her chair, and she bent down and picked up a brown ball of fluff, another following shortly after. She placed the two Eevees on her shoulders, and she patted her lap. Not a second later, Umbra jumped up, and when he looked at the screen he barked happily at the sight of Michael. He had a tendency to show his family his disguises before he went on a trip so they would recognize him when he called.

"Hey Umbra, how's it goin'?" Umbra barked again, and Lucas chuckled happily. After a moment, he asked

"Say Umbra, one of your remaining daughters there wanted to become an Ice type, right? Which one was that?" The Eevee on Jovi's left shoulder began to yip excitedly, wagging her fluffy tail for all she was worth. Jovi petted her head and said

"Calm down, girl! You'll knock Jovi off her seat!" Everybody present laughed, and Lucas said

"Sorry girl, but I actually needed the other one right now." The Eevee dipped her head sadly, and Lucas quickly said

"Hold on, now, I can still work with you, but I wanted to keep you guys apart for now so I can still tell the difference. But rest assured, I will call you over soon." The Eevee still didn't look quite happy, but the prospect of traveling with the one her father spoke so highly of excited her again. Then Lucas asked

"So, Umbra, your other daughter; would she be content to be a Grass type?" Umbra tilted his head in obvious confusion, and Lucas preempted him by saying

"Yes, there is a Grass type evolution, but I want to know if she would be fine with it." Umbra turned his head to the kit on Jovi's right shoulder and began to converse with her. After a minute, he turned back and shrugged, signifying that she didn't know yet.

"Well, she doesn't want to be one of the conventional three, nor the obscure two, and your other unevolved daughter has already laid a claim on ice." He paused for a moment, then said

"To make things easier, I think we'll call her Crystal. How does that sound?" The Eevee in question yipped excitedly again, and Lucas grinned and said

"Alright, then, Crystal, I'll be calling you out soon when I get in the right circumstances, probably within this month or during next." After another set of excited yips, the other Eevee looked toward him wondering if she could have a name too.

"I don't want to name you yet, not without having a type that can reflect you. Or do you want to remain unevolved?" She shook her head, and Lucas clapped his hands and said

"Well then, it looks like you'll be a Grass type, if you want that is." After a moment's consideration, she yipped affirmatively, and Jovi said

"So, you want the Professor to send her to you? What will you be sending back?" Lucas nodded and held up a pokeball, telling her

"That would be much appreciated. I'll send you my Cherrim, whom I have called Cherry right now. I might come up with something later, maybe not. Make sure she's well taken care of, alright Jovi?" She swelled with pride and said

"You can count on Jovi, big brother! Come on Umbra, Crystal, and… other Eevee, we're going to see the Professor!" They disappeared from view, and after a minute, Professor Krane entered the screen's view, and he said

"Ah, hello, Michael. Up for another trade, I see?" Lucas nodded and told him

"There are many new pokemon here, Professor, some of which evolve from pokemon we already know about!" He nodded and said

"And I understand you have found the existence of another Eeveelution, yes?" He nodded and replied

"Yeah, two actually. But I want to work with the first one before I work with Crystal. So make sure you have the right Eevee before you send her over, okay?" He nodded and confirmed it, and the trade was soon made. Once he double-checked, he returned the Eevee and said

"Thanks, Professor." He grinned and told him

"Not a problem, my boy, not a problem at all! Call in a little while and speak with your mother though, would you? She misses you dearly, you know." Lucas promised to do so, then hung up and set out to evolve his Eevee.

_**A couple days later…**_

Lucas stood in front of the moss covered stone in Eterna Forest, running his hand over the oddly cool, silky soft surface. After a moment, he drew out a pokeball and a small candy wrapped in bright blue paper. He released the pokemon within, revealing his yawning Eevee. He smiled and picked her up, rubbing her behind an ear, to which she purred contentedly. Then he faced her toward the rock and told her

"Alright, here's how this works; all you have to do is level up while you're touching the rock. Simple and pain free!" Eevee nodded, but still appeared somewhat apprehensive. He cooed to her consolingly, then gently set her stop the rock. Once she was sitting on her haunches, peering down at him from her new perch, he chuckled and undid the wrapper, revealing a blue and white swirling candy. He held up the energy packed sweet to her and said

"Eat this, and everything should go along smoothly." She sniffed it curiously, then grabbed it suddenly with her small but sharp teeth. Lucas pulled his hand back and counted his fingers, then looked back up just as the Eevee managed to bite through the shell of the candy. Instantly she was surrounded by a bright light, and her form became less fluffy and more streamlined. Pieces of something came off her body, and when it faded revealed a mostly tan, foxlike creature. She had traces of green on her, including plants tufts from her body, and her leaf-like ears. She called out happily and jumped down into Lucas' arms, whereupon he laughed and said

"Alright, I got the perfect name for you. From now on, you shall be known as Ivy." Her eyes widened at the name, and she began to lick his face with happiness. He laughed at her reaction, then held up her ball and said

"Okay, Ivy, return." The red beam took her weight off his arms. He shrank the ball and clipped it to his belt, walking forward happily as he said

"Things are really beginning to pick up."

**Present…**

Green was smiling happily as he finished his tale, and she said

"It sounds like you have some very happy stories to tell." He nodded and replied

"When it comes to my pokemon, definitely. Though not so much when it comes to me, personally." Before Green could retort, Rose appeared with Scott in front of them, and A clapped his hands and said

"Good, you made it back!" He picked up a clipboard and pen, then looked expectantly at the duo.

"Everyone is accounted for; we have no losses." A nodded and jotted that down. Then Scott reported

"So far, we have seen some Rocket movement within the west side of the Coronet Mountain Range, minimal on the eastern portion." A nodded and asked

"Where exactly?"

"Closer to Jubilife and Canalave City. Nothing in the smaller towns, and minimal in Floaroma." A nodded and got the details on the movement, which apparently involved both inward and outward port trading. After he collected the report, he dismissed Rose and Scott, saying to Green

"I better get this in and quick. Right now Xeron is taking over for Rick while he and Alara are enjoying their vacation, but Rick will read this when he gets back." Green appeared apprehensive and asked

"What do you think Team Rocket is doing? And what are you going to do?" A shook his head and replied

"That's not my decision to make."

"But surely you have opinions and speculation?" A patted the report and told her'

"Already taken care of. But the final decision rests with Rick." He transformed into his Gallade form and teleported to the first den, angling at the Military Offices to hand the report over to Xeron. He felt a massive amount of power exuding, however, and he rushed forward in an attempt to ascertain its origins. He came in just in time to see Xeron teleport away, taking the powerful aura with him. A released a breath he didn't know he was holding and said to himself

"What power! And yet… it seems so… familiar…" Shaking himself, he teleported to Rick's mansion, where he once again felt the power surging. He walked up, nodding to the guards, and knocked on the door. It opened to reveal Aldira, and when she spoke her voice rang through A's head, like a forgotten friend from somewhere.

"A? Good to see you. How may I help you?" A replied

"It's good to see you too ma'am. I'm here to give your husband my progress report. He left so quickly that I couldn't give it to him. I tried to chase him down, but he teleported away." Xeron wasn't listening and walked out the house, going all the way to the sparing grounds. Aldira saw this and said

"Sorry, he's dealing with some thoughts. I can take it to him if you want." X then told her

"Don't bother. I'll go." A waved him off, saying

"Nah! I should try to see what's wrong with him." Aldira hesitated, then nodded and said

"Follow me then." The two walked outside, trying to find Xeron. Aldira stayed in the house, looking outside the window with a worried expression. X and A were walking through the garden to get to the training grounds. A was trying to get some small talk going with X;

"So how have you been? It's been a while." X didn't respond. "How is the balance of fate?" X then said

"Sorry, but I'm not up for some chit chat." A was unfazed and mused

"Well things are suddenly depressing today."

"Sorry, but I'm worried."

"I know, I sensed that you and Aldira were worried once I got onto the property. Yeah, I noticed you without actually being in your presence. Also, I must know, is Xeron an Arceus Knight?"

"Why do you ask?"

"His aura is insane. I felt his power once I arrived at the gates of the house." A sudden surge of power then radiated through the area.

"Just like that, only this is more intense." X quickly cursed and took off towards the source of the power. A followed close behind and they soon found Xeron sitting on the ground with his legs crossed. He had his sword over his legs and was in a deep process of thought. Surrounding him was a dark aura that soon took the form of a wolf pack composed of black wolves and Dusk. They surrounded Xeron and snarled at A and X. After a time, the aura vanished and Xeron said

"Ah! Good times! Painful, but still they were good times." X and A were finally able to approach him after the wolves and Dusk faded away. X walked up to Xeron and punched him, demanding

"What was that about!?" Xeron held his jaw and replied

"I was just...reminiscing and remembering things I didn't like. However, it took a good memory to snap me back to normal."

"Stop thinking about your past, you idiot!"

"That's all I really have. When you don't really have a true future, then you live with the present and the past." A then asked him

"If that's your power when you're standing still, what's your power when you're fighting?" C=Xeron shrugged and said simply

"It depends on my mood and how much power I choose to use."

"I have a few more questions." Xeron waved him off and said wearily

"I'm sorry, but I need to rest. Please ask me later." A reluctantly nodded and said to him

"I gave your wife my progress report. You left before I could give it to you."

"Thanks! I'll take a look at it."

"Very well...goodbye!" A then teleported back to his den, but now his mood was drastically changed. Green noticed this, but she couldn't tell if the change was good or bad, and Michael wasn't very forthcoming. However, he seemed to be muttering something about

"-Knights-" and "-power levels-", none of which Green could make any sense out of, but she didn't interrupt him. His brooding went all through the day until he was certain about something. And Green didn't much like the sound of what he was going to do to prove it.

**The Next Day…**

A opted to forgo his training this morning, as he had other problems to address, bigger fish to fry. And if he wanted to succeed on this self-appointed mission, he had to catch the worm while it was still up. He teleported to the Military base, striding up to the Warlord's office and walking right inside. There he found Xeron, covered in his unnaturally powerful aura, and he smiled at A and asked

"How may I help you Alpha?" A crossed his arms and asked

"What's up with you? Your power levels are beyond anyone's I've ever felt before, excepting legendary pokemon. Further, your voice is extremely similar to one of the Knights I have heard; one might say they were identical." Xeron chuckled and retorted

"Do I look like Knight material to you? I'm powerful, but I'm not that powerful." A scowled and retorted himself

"Then I suppose you wouldn't mind sparring with me for a while?" Xeron laughed nervously and replied

"I don't think that's a good idea. I think that you'll destroy me...or we'll cause too much damage. You're a Knight and I'm not. Think about that Alpha. Also, don't worry why I know that you're named Alpha and are a Knight." A narrowed his eyes and hissed

"You're lying to me, I know it. Are you afraid to battle me because you think you'll lose? Or are you reluctant because you know you'll win?" Xeron eyed him with amusement and replied

"Taunting me is not a ways to get me to fight. However, to prove a point, I'll spar with you." A smirked and transformed into his Gallade mode, then said

"Good. Meet me in my den, five minutes max. No excuses. I'll be waiting." He immediately teleported there and set up the combat field, rigging it with traps that a warrior of Xeron's caliber would notice and avoid with impunity. He growled to himself

"I will expose him for who he is." In exactly five minutes, Xeron arrived at the 22nd Den with Aldira in tow. They went behind A's mansion to the sparring grounds where they saw A waiting. Xeron said to A

"Alright, I'm here. So I guess we're sparring." Aldira then said

"This has 'bad idea' written all over it, dear." A pointed to the other side of the field, and Xeron chuckled, teleporting over to his side. As custom dictated, they bowed to each other to show respect among two Gallade, and they both settled into their battle stances, A staying as a Gallade for the moment. If he went with the unexpected and yet still lost, his suspicions would be confirmed there. Xeron then said

"So I'll make the first move." Xeron ran forward and swung his Shadowbane at A. A easily dodged the attack and stabbed at Xeron, who leaned back and dodged the attack. A smirked and jumped, front-flipping and grabbing Xeron by the shoulders, throwing him directly onto one of his traps, which was a small pit that put him in the position very similar to a freshman who was just trash-canned. Xeron quickly noticed the trap and teleported away, reappearing and punched A in the back, sending him in the trap.

"Well that was lucky." A chuckled and pried himself out, then commented rather lightly

"Nice job, noticing that trap before you fell into it, then getting away from it and sending me into it instead. Rather like an ultimate warrior..." Wasting no more time talking he began to assault Xeron, teleporting rapidly and randomly, sending all sorts of blows in and from every direction. Xeron dodged the attack and then threw his hand out, catching A dead in his tracks

"Maybe you should move faster. I have very impressive hand-eye coordination." A smirked and dug his feet into the ground, then hurled Xeron over his head. Xeron landed lightly on his feet, but A had vanished. Suddenly, silver arm blades were positioned around his neck, and A said

"Admit it, you are an Arceus Knight. No other warrior fights as well as you do, and no other warrior I've met has been able to foil almost everything I've set so far. You are too experienced a fighter to not have a special position of power, one you clearly hold onto." Xeron shrugged and said obstinately

"I'm not a Knight. I'm just very strong." He then grabbed A's arm blade, slammed him on the ground, and threw him away.

"I really don't see the connection." A smirked and replied as he rolled back over

"The only one who has given me a beating even remotely close to this is Alpha. I know you're not a hell-monster bent on destruction. I can sense your power, and it rivals the weaker legendaries. There are other Knights, and I know I'm not the leader. Therefore, the leader has to be both stronger and wiser than I, and you fit both bills. Lastly, both your voice and your mate's match exactly two of the three cloaked figures I saw during a Knights meeting. Even if you keep denying it, I know I'm right. You just don't want your identity leaked. Tell me, what do you and Aldira guard again? If I remember correctly, her voice declared the Guardianship of Love, while yours declared Guardianship of Eternity." Xeron smirked and chuckled, eventually bursting out in laughter. He suddenly vanished and his voice emanated through A's head.

"Very good perception, Alpha." The voice then disappeared from his head and Xeron reappeared in the air.

"However, I should have seen it coming." A frowned slightly, then he asked

"Seen what coming?" Xeron looked down and said

"You figuring me and my wife out quickly. However, you haven't seen my power in its fullest. This is 10% right now." He then swung his right hand up and a large piece of the den went floating up into the air. He then swung his other hand and the mansion rose off the ground.

"However, I hate using my power. I don't acknowledge my power as much as I should." A smirked as he lowered everything back in place, and he asked

"So, I assume you're the top dog among the Knights, huh? That makes me wonder, who are the top five in power?"

"It's actually hard to necessarily say. However, I believe that you're in it." He then vanished again and reappeared in the form of a wolf.

"Honestly, I don't see why it matters. We're all strong. I'm just your boss." A smirked and bowed to him, then said

"Very well, I just wanted to make you acknowledge your position. It felt like you were ashamed to admit it, and I don't know why. I certainly don't brag around about being an Arceus Knight, but I'm quite pleased to be part of an elite corps." Xeron grunted and said

"I'm not ashamed of my position, but I don't like the attention. I'd rather live in peace with my wife. My job is the hardest, since I have to protect...everything. Eternity means pretty much everything. I'm old but I died young, and I feel that I might not stay a Knight forever. I and my wife go hand in hand. Existence is nothing without love." A nodded, his expression becoming sadder. He looked off in the distance and replied in a hollow voice

"I hear you. I have to guard the Pokemon of the world. That's a big position to fill, and I'm bound to fail now and again... I hate failure, especially from myself. But I guess that's why we were chosen; we display power and determination that goes above and beyond nearly everybody else, so naturally we have the bigger positions to fill." Aldira then walked up to them and said

"Xeron needs a vacation. He's growing tired of constantly working. He's been at it for sixteen years and he even works in his sleep, something you can't do. He can be anywhere he wants to be without limitations, and he knows everything about people he sees. However, there are limitations to the second part. Point is, he's tired and wants to rest. So he decided to take a long vacation to spend time with his children." A sighed and transformed back into a human, then ran his hands through his hair and said

"Then I apologize for my behavior earlier. I just get suspicious, and I become like a Mightyena with a bone... I have to watch my steps too, as Green and I are thinking about making things more official. And while I want to commit myself to her, and have her committed to me, I don't know how well I would be able to hold that up. After all, my position will require me to be in at least five places at once. Not an easy task." Xeron turned back into his real form and said

"It's not. However, I wouldn't have traded my wife and my family for anything in the world. Arceus didn't will it to be a solo effort." A nodded and said

"That it's not. Your children still love you very much."

"That they do. I'm just waiting for Aeru to get back home. No doubt he had fun on his honeymoon. Well I'll be leaving. I have to prepare Aeru's welcome party."

"What are you two planning?"

"Don't worry about it." Xeron then teleported away, leaving a concerned A behind. He facepalmed and said

"Uh-oh. This is going to get violent really soon."

**Okay, I think that about covers what I need it to. So, leave your reviews, please, and tell me what you think about the name I came ups with for my special pairing, ShadowLeafShipping. I really like how it sounds, but I want to know what you think. Peace out!**


	48. Ch 48: The Siege, Part One

**Well, here we are again with another exciting chapter! This one is going to be tense, but I should stop giving these things away. Now then, let's get started! Story Spotlight; **_**Give Love On Christmas Day**_**, by KiyaShirona14. Ratings; 1****st****) United States 2****nd****) Australia 3****rd****) Canada 4****th****) Sweden 5****th****) Singapore.**

Shortly after A was finished training with his pokemon, whose numbers he had increased again, he showered and joined Green outside, where they practiced their swordsmanship for a while, but now A was stepping up his game and sometimes playing with her. He was teaching her still, but every time she left herself wide open, he would sneak in a kiss, taking her by both surprise and irritation.

"Dammit! How are you getting by me so easy?!" she demanded as she swiped at him for the fiftieth time, but he easily sidestepped it and moved to grab her, preventing her from moving. He kissed her again and grinned as she blushed, telling her

"I've had years of training, or the equivalent of years, anyway. It would be strange if you could beat me without batting an eyelash, now wouldn't it?" She growled and pushed away, demanding

"Then why are you playing with me like this? It's really getting on my nerves!" A grinned again and moved behind her without her notice. She jumped as he spoke.

"Believe it or not, this serves another aspect of training. How do you expect to win if your swings are as erratic as your emotions? Master your feelings, and you can master anything. Further, this will help you learn your opponent's weaknesses. Exploit those and you can shape the battle as you please." A gleam appeared in her eyes and she stepped back, raising her sword defensively.

"Alright, then let's try that." A chuckled and raised his wooden blade, intending to reserve Savior for when she became more advanced in her training. He stepped forward cautiously, ready to deflect or reflect whatever she tried. She stepped back as he stepped up, which made him pause. He stepped back and she stepped forward.

From then on things moved into a sort of tango, each mirroring the other's moves but not really getting anywhere. Before his training, A would have been annoyed, but now he was just cold and calculating, observing each of her movements and trying to predict what she would do next.

The time came when he moved forward and he expected her to move back. However, she took him by surprise when she moved forward as well, planting her lips firmly against his. He was surprised and pleased at once, and he melted into it. Then he felt a small, almost imperceptible motion from her and saw her arm raising.

He smirked inwardly and his arm extended behind him, catching her arm as she slashed at his back, breaking her grip on the weapon and creating a discordant clatter on the hard ground. Now defenseless, Green tried to pull away, but A moved forward with her, placing a foot behind her and tripping her. She squealed as she fell back, but he caught her around the waist, holding her once again in the finishing position of a tango. He grinned as he said to her

"Well played, my dear, and you very nearly succeeded, but your motions were still easy for me to read and perceive." He grinned more widely, then added

"But that was a lovely kiss." Green blushed and grumbled, A pulling her back up. Green walked forward to retrieve her sword, then turned back to him and asked

"How exactly am I supposed to clear my emotions? It's not something I've done before." A nodded and explained

"Everyone does it differently, but everyone can do it. I would just start by taking a moment to stand still, and let every worry you feel slip away. After that it becomes easier to release the hold on your emotions." Green nodded and closed her eyes, standing still for a few minutes. A stood by and watched her, secretly admiring the beauty he found in her.

When she felt ready, Green opened her eyes, which displayed a calm that had previously escaped her. She moved forward slowly and twirled her sword in an impressive display of hand-eye coordination. A was impressed, but he stopped her blow as she let the sword fall to him, then blocked her fist, which was the true attack. He grinned, then stopped as she kicked his leg, right below the knee.

He jumped back as she pursued, driving her sword at him before he came down fully. He raised the wooden imitation of his blade and deflected her sword, sending it to the side and side-stepping her, trying to trip her, but she anticipated that and kicked harder at his outstretched foot, tripping his balance slightly. He regained it quickly and moved behind her, clenching the wood between his teeth as he grabbed her wrists, manipulating her limbs to his will.

Soon after they stopped, Green breathing heavily while A put away his wooden weapon, re-belting Savior. Then he looked back at her and told her

"You're doing very well, you know. When you first started you couldn't properly strike a dummy. Now you're applying more advanced tactics to our spars." Green smiled gratefully, and A felt a sense of pride in her. Soon, however, their time was interrupted by a call from Rick.

"_A come to the Court, we've got an emergency. The details will be there." _The line cut out, perplexing A and Green. She looked at him and asked

"What's going on?" He shook his head and told her

"I'll let you know when I get back." He transformed into his Gallade form and teleported to the Court, where he saw most of the team assembled, waiting for something. Soon enough Rick and Alara rushed into the large meeting room, asking

"What's wrong?!" Alara's father then told them

"Sanda City, or the Electric Pokemon Civilization, has been attacked by Team Rocket earlier today. It seems to be an all-out attack." Rick appeared as horrified as A felt, and he asked

"How did Team Rocket find out about it?"

"I'm guessing that the Projects told Giovanni, since they are Pokemon themselves and have not always been part of Team Rocket."

"Damn them all! What's the situation?"

"They are still under siege. They are holding off Team Rocket, but apparently they are using those Rocket Specter things and some oddly powered Pokemon to fight against them." A was now curious and asked

"What kind of oddly powered Pokemon?"

"They seem to be stronger than ordinary Pokemon. They are using some strange powers that the soldiers of the city cannot explain." A thought to himself out loud

"Interesting." In his mind, however, he reeled at the thought of his worst nightmares coming to fruition. A ringing noise then emanated through the room and the Chief pressed a button on a control and a screen appeared in the room. The screen then showed Raiden, the king of Sanda City. Saifer asked him

"King Raiden, is everything alright?" King Raiden informed him

"We're holding out, so far that's good. However, we can't hold him back forever. I need to join the fight Chief Saifer."

"Don't endanger yourself! We'll find a way."

"We're running out of time! My men...my people, are getting slaughtered out there. I can't just sit here idly while they lose their lives. Do we have your support or not?" An explosion was then heard.

"Damn it! I need an answer!"

"The military is not my domain. However, it's my son-in-law's. Aeru!" Rick walked into sight and reassured him

"You have my military support. We'll reinforce you!" He called over Daedalus and ordered

"Gather the troops!" He called Jean over and said

"Get the Rangers ready for deployment!" The two saluted him and ran off. Rick looked back at the screen and asked

"How long do you think that you'll be able to hold out?" King Raiden answered

"We have four hours, at best." Rick nodded and told him firmly

"We'll have to move quickly."

"I sense some distress in you, Warlord."

"I've never been in a real military scenario. Well, not since Epsilon's Fortress, but that was a rescue mission and a surprise attack. This is defense and turning the tides of a battle."

"You'll do fine. You'll be saving my people and proving your worth to the other civilizations. Please hurry."

"We'll be there in an hour. Guys! Suit up and move out!" A nodded and teleported back to his den, Green spotting and running up to him.

"Well?"

"A pokemon civilization has been attacked. Team Rocket is finally making its move, and we're going to stop them." Green's face paled at the news and she asked silently

"What kind of monsters are they to attack innocent civilians?" A shook his head and replied

"The worst kind. I need to get ready now, though." Green nodded and let him run back to the mansion, grabbing his pack with his pokemon, the spare pack with empty pokeballs, and the box containing his snag machine. He slung it across his back, then went back out as a human. He went to Green and kissed her for a moment, telling her firmly

"We'll be back. I don't know exactly when, but I swear on my life we will return." Green simply nodded, and he transformed and teleported back to the military hangar where the SAM was waiting. He took a deep breath and boarded, taking refuge in the room set aside for him, as there was a room for every member of the team. He deposited his items and went to the meeting room, where he waited for the remainder of the team.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Mercury's engines started and soon it began to lift as a voice on the intercom said

"Alright, all ships are ready for deployment. Onward to victory and honor Sanctuary soldiers!" The six ships, followed by numerous jet fighters, flew off into the afternoon sky. All of them went towards Sanda City. Inside the Mercury, the soldiers were all scrambling to stock up on weapons in the armory. The team was in the meeting room, waiting for Rick and planning out what they should do. Rick soon arrived and said

"Ready for real war?" Dartz replied

"No, but we don't have a choice. It's your call." A merely grunted, but he doubted anybody heard it. He had participated in many wars, but none of this extent.

"Well, we have more experience in this than anyone else, so let's just do it like we always do...expect that we have way more people on our team." Screech then contacted Rick.

"Sir, we'll be arriving at the city in ten minutes. So let me call for a roll call from the other ships. This is Air Force Command Chief Master Sergeant Samuel Livel, calling for a roll call of all ship captains." Soon each commander called in;

"This is General Isaiah Mercer of the S.A Evangelion."

"This is General Amanda Kind of the S.A Shiva."

"This is General John Kowlvich of the S.A Charon."

"This is Genera Auron Snow of the S.A Raptor."

"Good! Sir, we're all here and ready to fight." Rick replied

"Acknowledged! Thank you everyone. Let's get this over with." Everyone went their own ways, the Rangers traveling together to prepare for their mission. A returned to his room and turned back into a Gallade, slinging his pack and box over his back, mentally preparing himself for the fight to come. Many battles he had won before were not nearly as bloody as this was sure to be, and none of the battles he had lost were this personal, or terrifying. If there was anyone he lost to, it was the Elite Four. And Alpha.

"_Okay, maybe Alpha was both personal and terrifying, not to mention beyond deadly, but him aside, there have been no other battles that had so much on the line."_ A shook the thoughts from his head. He was going in to kill and be killed, unless he was smarter than his enemies. But he wouldn't be if he kept ruminating on that which could not be changed.

Gathering himself one last time, he swept his eyes around the room, checking for anything he might have left behind. Once he was certain, he left and closed the door to the room, well aware he might never see it again. If there was anything he wanted to see one last time, it was Green. But he swore he would get back to her, and he never broke his promises. Vows were different, and under special circumstances, but promises he kept. He smiled wryly and thought

"_Perhaps I should promise I won't go back to Orre." _Then he shook the ridiculousness out of his head; the Relic Stone was in Orre, and whether he liked it or not, he needed to use it for the shadow pokemon that were supposed to arrive at some point.

Sighing, he began the treacherous walk toward that which could easily pronounce his inevitable doom. He took a special drop pod, per Rick's orders, along with some of the other team members. Soon the floor gave under him and he tumbled downward toward the field of battle. He aimed himself, then crushed a Specter underneath him. He punched through its head for good measure, then hopped into the fray.

He slashed left and right, taking down the Specters, indoctrinated pokemon, and Rocket grunts with ease since he wasn't holding back for this battle. Who knew how strong any of these opponents might be, and how much time would be wasted if he didn't go full power off the bat?

So he fought thus, taking down one enemy after the other, many times before they could spot him. There were plenty of Rangers he managed to help, and more he had saved. But for all he could do, he could not be everywhere at once, so it was inevitable that his allies would fall. After all, this was war, and war never determined who was right or wrong, nor even the weak from the strong. War only ever determined who lived and who died.

Despite his grim mindset, he persisted in the battle, his elbow blades needing serious cleaning when this was done, lest he fall prey to the Bane of the Swords. Nevertheless he struck, and many fell to his hand. But a sudden rumbling cut him off from taking down one of the Specters, and massive roars could be heard behind him. When he turned to inspect the cause, he was dismayed to see a tidal wave of new Specters, not to mention two Colossi, join the battle for the city.

Growling in irritation, he heard the call for retreat, and though he didn't quite agree with the decision, he knew it would be suicide to go by himself. He followed the pack of soldiers as they fell back, away from the Rocket army. They eventually found themselves behind very large gates, which were now being sealed shut as Rick undoubtedly formulated a new plan.

A looked up and saw massive windows within the gates, set along platforms for guard rounds no doubt. He teleported up to one and looked outside, and what he saw discouraged him. The Rockets were regrouping rapidly, though they were disorganized. He watched the Colossi closely, almost certain the destruction they could wreak would be devastating to their cause.

Unwilling to sit here and let this happen, he drew his bloody blades and shook what gore he could off of them, then charged up a couple Judgements, firing them down at the grouping Rockets, hoping to either strike them down and reduce their numbers considerably, or at the very least prevent them from coming up with a decent plan of attack. Unfortunately, Iota saw his position and began to launch counter-attacks as well as deflecting or destroying his. A grit his teeth in frustration and started teleporting to different windows with no set pattern, though he always aimed away from Iota, if for nothing more than to force him to expend more of his energy.

After a while, he received a transmission from Rick.

_"A, what's your status?" _A answered

"Firing my attacks down on the attackers. What's up?"

_"I need you to send out Ixion to fight the Colossi. I'll send out Avion to fight as well. They should make a dent in their numbers as well."_

"Alright! I'll keep that mind." He drew Ixion's seal out of his pack, then tossed it out of the window. He had been working with Ixion especially, letting him know that there might be times when he wouldn't personally direct him to attack. Should that happen, he was ordered to take on the biggest threats out there.

The plan worked when Ixion's seal crashed and smashed on the ground, sending him out to roar loudly and take the Rockets by surprise. A smirked when one of the Colossi unwittingly fired some sort of attack at the lion. Fortunately the attack was absorbed by Ixion, who roared and fired it back, then charged it. After watching another moment, he teleported to Rick's location in time to hear the toll so far. He stepped up and said

"You're taking the death of your soldiers well." Rick was surprised to see him there and replied

"I can't dwell on it. We'll worry about it when this is all over. Did you release Ixion?"

"Yeah. He's going berserk on Team Rocket right now."

"Then I'll send him some back up." Rick suddenly released Avion outside and told him

"Go help Ixion with Team Rocket. Get rid of the Colossi." Avion gave an affirmative coo and flew away.  
Tsu then contacted Rick;

"Rick! My sensors are picking up more Team Rocket armament...but this is different. These armaments are alive."

"What?" Rick then teleported to the city walls and saw Team Rocket moving in with Pokemon. "I see only Pokemon." Then it dawned on him and he turned on his Aura Reader. He saw at least four of the Pokemon with a black aura and he said to A, who joined him

"I'm guessing those are Shadow Pokemon?" A activated his own Aura Reader and cursed, then said

"And so it begins. Alright, let's get the show on the road." He jumped down and charged into the group, specifically dispatching all but the four Shadow Pokemon. Once it was them against him, he pulled out two pokeballs, he tossed them up and said

"Come on out!" Rose and Loran appeared in flashes of light. They looked over their shoulders at him, and he said

"We've got shadow pokemon here. Time to get to work." They nodded and faced the opponents, who seemed to decide to take them on two at a time. One of them, a Luxray, charged forward with a Shadow Rush. A quickly ordered

"Loran, intercept that with Psycho Cut! Rose, blast the other with a Shadow Pulse!" They nodded and Loran dashed forward, activating his neon purple blades. He clashed against the Luxray, stopping it dead in its tracks, while Rose quickly knocked out the other, a Shadow Alakazam, with the quadruple super effective move. A muttered

"My turn" and pulled a Nest Ball out of his pack. He held the ball up to the shoulder portion of the Snag Machine, and it sank in. After a brief moment, a small green light traveled down the wire, and the glowing symbol on the back of his land flashed brilliantly. He held open his hand, and the Nest Ball, now a Snag Ball, grew in his palm. He grasped it and threw it in a high arc toward the Alakazam. A large purple hand exited the ball and swooped the fainted pokemon in. It landed on the ground, and after three tense moments of it rocking around, it clicked. A held out his hand and the ball flew back to him. He shrank and clipped the ball to his belt, saying

"One down, three to go. Alright Rose, use Shadow Bolt on the Poliwrath! Loran, Shadow Cut on that Luxray!" They nodded and followed his orders, quickly knocking the two pokemon out. A snagged the two, the Luxray with another Nest Snag Ball, the Poliwrath with a Net Snag Ball. The final shadow pokemon, an Aggron, stepped up and roared at them. A heaved a sigh and said

"Oh boy, this one will be harder. Alright, let's see..." The Aggron lifted a foot and slammed it into the ground, producing a wave of shadows that crawled toward them.

"Shadow Rave!" A hissed, then ordered

"Loran, use Protect! Rose follow up with a Shadow Blast!" Loran threw his arms out, producing a green shield that deflected the shadows, and Rose ran out with the blue and black-purple ball, hurling it toward the Aggron. It struck, causing it to roar in pain and anger. However, it did not fall. A activated the Aura Reader again and looked at its health, then said

"It might be worth a shot." He made an Ultra Snag Ball and threw it, but it busted out after the second rock.

"Dang, so close. Alright, Rose you use Protect against whatever's next, then Loran, you follow up with Close Combat." They nodded, and the Aggron rushed up to them, covering its body with menacing shadows. Shadow End.

"Crap! Now, Rose!" She erected the green shield herself, and Loran dashed out, beating the Aggron down. After the final kick, right after it struck the ground, it was snagged again by A. This time it caught. He took the Ultra Snag Ball back and called out to Rick

"Okay, I got 'em all!" Rick replied

"Great job! Now get back into the city. The Rockets are retreating again." A appeared and Rick said to him

"They'll be back in force. So we need to prepare." A nodded and said

"Let me drop these four off in my den, and I'll be right back." He took the Snag Machine off and transformed into a Gallade, then teleported to his den. He set the Snag Balls into the addition he had made on the house, setting them on a shelf to be addressed later. He looked at them all, then sighed and said

"Poor pokemon, subjected to this kind of torture." He teleported back to the wall and waited to see the progress of things, Soon enough they escalated back into war, and he sighed and dove back in, once again dealing death to his enemies, not one escaping his grasp.

He lost track as his personal death toll grew, and he had often heard stories about people who made a habit of counting their kills. Put into practice, the thought disgusted him. Besides, he was moving too fast to keep perfect track of how much death he was dealing.

He lost himself in the practice, soon not caring how things went. But he wasn't so distant as to miss the large pillar of darkness that shot into the sky, nor the swell of enemies shortly after. He had a bad feeling what the connections were, but he hoped he was wrong. After a few more minutes and easily dozens of deaths after, he teleported back behind the wall for a brief break and saw Rick a short distance away with what he recognized as a broken back, perhaps beyond repair. He cursed and teleported over to the group and cursed

"Damn it! Not again! Get a medic!" He turned his attention back to Rick.

"Rick, just stay awake. Try to move your legs. You have to try." Rick tried, but couldn't. He said to A

"I...can't."

**And that ends the first part of this chapter. Don't worry, the next part will come soon. In the meantime, tell me what you think.**


	49. Ch 49: The Siege, Part Two

**Okay, here's the second piece of the Siege. As a quick recap, A and the team, along with the Sanctuary Rangers, are currently locked in battle against Team Rocket, their Specters, and three massive Colossi. Meanwhile, Rick has just had his back broken. Yeowch! **

**Back to seriousness; Story Spotlight; **_**New Earth Chronicles; Salvation**_**, by GrayKat144. Ratings; 1****st)**** United States, 2****nd****) Canada, 3****rd****) Portugal, 4****th****) Australia, 5****th****) Indonesia. Thanks for your patronage!**

A had left Rick in Celebi's hands after he began to heal Rick, although it was a painful process. However, he knew Rick could handle it, and besides, his abilities were needed elsewhere. He dove back into the fray, assuming guard for Rick so that Celebi could concentrate on saving their Warlord, their rallying point. A was fully able to encourage himself, having been a lone wolf for most of his life, but he knew full well that the remainder of the army looked up to him. Therefore, if Rick died, the army would likely scatter immediately with the death of the Warlord.

Of course, his fellow Knight, Xeron, would likely get control of the situation, but it would be better to avoid that scenario altogether. Given this driving force, A slashed left and right with his arm blades, sending multitudes of attacks flying.

He shot everything from Pyro, Aqua, Electro, and Aero Judgements, adding occasionally Psycho, Black, and Attack Judgement. After a while, he felt his strength begin to deplete, so he unlocked more of his energy. With the training sessions, he found that by blocking a portion of his power, he forced himself to become stronger by fighting harder. But that was to be reserved for training at the moment.

With the flood of power that flowed through him, he sent stronger, bigger attacks into the crowd of Rocket grunts, and occasionally dispatched several Specters. More than once he fired a long-range projectile in an attempt to keep the Colossi from really advancing. He spotted Harmony as she teleported next to him, and he could sense her worry. Before she could ask, he motioned his head back toward her brother and told her

"Back there! Celebi's healing him right now!" She nodded and ran back to him, and A refocused on the grunts. This kept up for about fifteen to twenty minutes, though he had long since lost track of the time, and Raikou came up and told him

"Celebi's about finished. Go ahead and join the battle directly; we can take care of ourselves." A nodded and teleported to the top of the wall again. He slapped his hands together and drew them apart slowly, charging a combo move, something he had recently been taking to doing. It was immensely hard and required full-on concentration, somewhat like Focus Punch. If he was distracted for a moment, he had to start all over again.

Due to the fact that his powers operated based off of a pokemon's, he had to assume that with enough power a regular attack could break through his. Therefore, he needed to choose a typing that was devoid of weaknesses an opponent could exploit; Dark and Ghost.

The swirling patterns of darkness would have enthralled him, but he currently had his eyes closed so as to focus on the energy building between his hands. Once he felt it was ready, he held it up and hurled it down. It was attacked, as he expected, by numerous sources. However, the ball absorbed energy sent to it and obliterated physical objects, such as bullets. When it slammed into the ground, it exploded, sending grunts and Specters alike flying, some missing various parts of their bodies. A nodded grimly, but the attack was too risky to pull off again without some sort of cover. Therefore, he settled back into attacking with Special Attack Judgements, checking up on Ixion's progress against one of the Colossi. He was managing to hold it off.

Shortly afterwards, Xeron gripped his arm and told him over the massive din

"Recall your Titan. The sharpshooters are about to fire." A nodded and whistled shrilly, using an Aero Judgement to boost the power of it. Ixion turned to look at him for confirmation, and A nodded. Ixion immediately came back, dissolving back into his Seal as he did. A transformed briefly back to human and placed the Seal within his frock coat. Then he switched back and teleported off the wall, as the sharpshooters were ready to unleash hell. Despite their firepower and ability, the troops of the Rockets were in staggering numbers, and Xeron gave the order to fire everything.

And while that was making a dent, the Rockets were still pounding on the gates. A could hear the sound, even over the racket everywhere else. And even if he couldn't, the inwardly bulging gates, combined with the tremors he felt through his feet every time they bulged further inward. Xeron then cursed and ordered Screech to fire at will. The ships around the Mercury and the Mercury itself began to fire a multitude of missiles and whatnot down on the Rocket troops. But even then, the Specters were able to replace what human grunts were lost. A cursed

"Arceus, they weren't nearly this strong when I originally faced them. How did they change so radically in such a short time?" Xeron had already gone to check on Rick. They soon showed up, and when the coast was clear, A took to the top of the wall again. Rick and the others stayed down, but A began to fire down on the Rockets in quick succession, trying to break the ranks banging on the gates. A couple other joined him and began to rain down on them with their firearms.

A paused for a moment to catch his breath, looking at the cold, metal weapons. He shook his head in disgust, believing that if you used a weapon to kill, then it should be one that was more personal. The blade forced him to close in with his opponents and look them in the eye. It was a humbling experience and prevented him from becoming addicted to killing. He knew, and had seen, people who killed. There were three things that happened when it came to killers, one of three people they became.

The first was the person who became an addict to taking life and sought out blood wherever they went. The second was the person who felt such remorse and overriding guilt that they ceased to function as regular people, devolving into blathering loons. And the third kind of person was the one who felt remorse but refused to let it hold them back.

His concentration was soon broken by the appearance of aerial enemies. They looked like the Specters, but were flying, and they fired various attacks. Precarious as their perch was, he and the soldiers with him tried to dodge the attacks, though one fell off due to poor judgment, another was struck as he landed, and the last was pushed off. A cursed and teleported next to Rick, who looked at him in desperation and said

"I don't know what to do now! SHIT!" A noticed his discouragement and said to him

"Hey, what kind of tone is that? If you lose morale then the army will lose morale."

"I haven't lose hope. I just don't know what to do. We're pinned down here really well. I don't want to risk my men in an all-out charge, but I can't keep protecting the gate like this. It won't hold forever. Soon, we'll have to fight within the city. However, I don't want to destroy the city in a battle either. Damn it! What should I do?" Xeron appeared and began to speak with him trying to encourage his son while A tried to come up with a tactic that would work given their current situation. Admittedly, Team Rocket had them effectively trapped, forcing them to hold the gates so the civilization wouldn't be decimated. Unfortunately, he had nothing. However, he heard when Rick made the decision to charge out of the gates, mounted up on the civilization's Luxray. Sighing, A transformed back and took out Ixion's Seal. He went behind Rick and asked

"So you had to make a hard decision and risk it?" Rick nodded and replied

"Yeah...I need to give us some space or die trying." He then let Avion out of his Titan Seal and told him

"Avion, help us out. We're going to charge, so please help us." Meanwhile, A focused on Ixion's Seal and crushed it within his hand, and Ixion came out in his steed form, fully prepared for the grueling battle ahead. Ixion snorted and A grabbed the reigns, swinging up into the saddle. He shifted into his Battle Form, as the armor would give him better protection in this charge. Soon Rick came in on a strange dark wolf, but A didn't challenge his choice in steed. He gave a rousing speech to the troops, though it had little effect on A. Everything he said he already knew, and he was fighting this battle to keep his pokemon and Green safe from harm, as well as accomplish his God-given task. A rode Ixion up to Rick near the front of the charge, asking

"Is it a good night to fight?" He hadn't noticed before, but the battle had carried on so long it was already past dusk.

"The best night so far. If anything happens, then it's been an honor fighting alongside you." A nodded and replied simply

"Likewise." Soon the sound of the breaking gates could be heard, and A tensed in his saddle. The gates flew open and the enemy charged in, though they halted at the sight of the army, ready to charge back. Rick then said to them

"Hello...and goodbye! Charge!" A whipped his reigns and Ixion charged forward speedily, and A slashed down with his large claymore, mowing down a decent number of grunts in one fell swoop. Several bullets bounced off his armor, and he raised his arm to shield his face. Then he swiped again, releasing a plume of fire that ate through the grunts hungrily until they dissipated.

A and Ixion kept this trend up, retreating for brief moments to recover, then charging back in, continually mowing with each pass. Soon enough, though, a massive energy attack threatened to demolish the army. Luckily, Ixion absorbed it, restoring his health and replenishing his strength. A looked for the source and spotted one of the remaining two Colossi. One was occupied by, oddly enough, the Chief and Queen of the Sanctuary. However, A refused to let himself be distracted, and he pulled on Ixion's reigns toward the unoccupied Colossi, then spurred him forward. Ixion obeyed without hesitation, slashing left and right with his sharp horn while A protected his flanks and rear.

Soon they came upon the Colossi, which was far more intimidating up close, but A pushed back his fear and commanded

"Ixion, transform! Knight!" He jumped off and Ixion began to glow, and soon Ixion stood as the nearly twenty foot tall, golden armored knight that was one of his three forms. He raised his shield and deflected a physical attack. The Colossi tried to launch another special attack, but Ixion held out his sword and absorbed it, increasing his strength. A then jumped up, and Ixion caught him in his massive hand. A told him

"Throw me at its head, then keep it busy!" Ixion nodded once, then ducked behind his shield to protect them both from another attack, and when it stopped Ixion threw A directly at its face. A held out Savior and lodged it into the scaly hide, almost solid as rock. It looked strangely familiar to him, and after a few moments he decided it looked very similar to a Tyranitar, though severely distorted. The Colossi tried to sweep its arms over A to brush him off, but Ixion stopped him and began to duel with the large pokemon-like beast.

A did his best to stay safe, though that was daunting prospect. However, he manage to get down without too much injury, and he tried to plunge Savior into the creature's neck. However, the plating was too thick to effectively pierce, and A soon gave up. Even if it wasn't so dangerous to edge around and try at the spine, if it existed, A figured the plating went all around, so it was dangerous and a gamble, one he wasn't willing to risk. He clambered back up its face, where it seemed less protected.

He plunged Savior in various places but didn't make much damage that would have crippled the Colossi. Instead, it seemed very irritated and frequently swiped at him. It missed, but they were very close calls, far too close for his liking. He resolved to travel further up and put out its eyes; maybe that would help. A activated an Aero Judgement and used it to quickly push himself up the Colossi's face. The Colossi roared, opening its massive maw and made it look like it was trying to devour A. However, he closed off the Aero Judgement and used Glacial Judgement, freezing the inside of its mouth, which seemed to greatly irritate it.

While it was distracted, Ixion slammed into it, throwing it off balance, and A reactivated Aero Judgement and finished the journey to its eyes. A was about to hurl Savior into the right eye, but a bright glint caught his attention. He looked up and spotted a massive, diamond-like gem embedded in the forehead. He shot up and clung to the Colossi's forehead, peering into the gem. It was very large indeed, and seemed to go deep. So deep that A estimated it penetrated the brain. Was it a controlling device? He tapped the gem a couple of times, and the Colossi roared more loudly, and yet more frantically. A smirked and said to himself

"Okay, this looks important!" He lifted the claymore and charged an Attack Judgement, then slammed it down on the gem. A bright flash of light followed, and the Colossi screeched in apparent agony, allowing Ixion to take a few more swipes at it. A shouted triumphantly and raised Savior again, but before he could bring it back down, the Colossi swiped at him, managing to slam its massive fingers on him and knocking him off. A shook himself out of his daze, then transformed and quickly charged then fired a Focus Blast, striking the large gem dead center. The Colossi froze, and a loud crackling could be heard. With a loud report, the gem shattered into large shards, and A shouted triumphantly as Ixion caught him, stopping his descent to the ground.

After a few tense moments, the Colossi's form grew hazy and began to dissolve and shrink rapidly, and when the haze of dust subsided, a real Tyranitar was revealed. A was surprised, to say the least, but he had Ixion set him down, and he cautiously approached the pokemon. After a second, it stirred and groaned lazily, and A could tell it was female. She sat up shakily, then fought to stand. Since she seemed harmless, he rushed over and helped her. When she focused on him, her eyes widened and she swept him up in a bone-crushing hug. She swung him around, shouting

"Thank you, mighty warrior! Finally, I'm free of those bastards! They attacked me and my village, though they told me they would spare it if I came willingly! Then they did- that- to me, and I thought I would never see my friends and family again! But thanks to you, I'm free!" A forced himself out, catching his breath, then said

"You're welcome… I'll speak with you in a bit, Okay? First I need to finish this battle." The Tyranitar nodded and replied

"I'll go with you. I want some payback for what they did to me." A simply nodded and told Ixion to shift back to Steed Forme. He did so, and A swung back up into the saddle, then turned to the Tyranitar and asked

"What is your name?" She nodded and told him

"I am Regola. I am the guardian of my village. Who are you?" A grinned and transformed back to human, then Battle Form, replying

"I am Alpha, the White Knight of Arceus and the Guardian of Pokemon!" Her eyes widened in shock, but she soon followed as A urged Ixion forward, slaying grunts left and right, leaving some for Regola to get her fill of revenge.

Shortly after the destruction of the final Colossi by A's hands, the remaining forces retreated, though Rick dealt with the Specters who would not retreat. After all of it, A wearily touched the ground, and he recalled Ixion into his Seal. He leaned against the wall for a few minutes, trying to regain his breath and composure. Once he did, he gathered with the rest of the team to accept and return the congratulations that were being passed around. Once the conversation was out of the way, they all went back into the civilization, A promising to speak fully with Regola and return her to her village after he was fully rested.

**Okay, I think that about does it for now. Hopefully I'll have another one ready for you soon, so look forward to it!**


	50. Ch 50: The Series of Nightmares, Part 1

**Well, sorry for the massive delay, but galladefenrir44 and I have been working some details out. Apparently, he's been getting accused of plagiarizing me, and I've received a few criticisms, even from you. I won't say who, namely because I've forgotten or don't know, but my point is this; gf44 and I are in a partnership, and since I don't want to deviate from the story, my chapters will look quite similar to his, just from Alpha (A's) point of view. Further, his story came out long before I even made my account. Neither of us have written anything without speaking about it first, so please stop accusing us. Now then, let's move on. Story Spotlight (and yes, I'm doing this on purpose) **_**The Blade and The Embrace**_**, by galladefenrir44. Ratings; 1****st****) United States 2****nd****) Canada 3****rd****) Australia 4****th****) United Kingdom 5****th****) Jamaica. **

The Solo Mission

Rick and the team rode back into the Sanctuary on their "steeds", or at least the ones who had steeds of their own. Most prominent was Rick on his wolf, and A on Ixion. Soon they were the brunt of the cheers of the people, though A imagined most of it was for Rick, who was the Warlord and leader of the armies. A was more than content to allow him the glory, since he felt extremely uncomfortable with massive amounts of attention; too many years spent fighting criminals.

He listened as the Chief proclaimed their victory and asked for Rick to follow him to the Chief's Court, though Rick appeared reluctant and confused. A sighed with less contentment. It was a rough battle, and what he could really use right now was-

"Michael!" He turned his head at his name, and saw Green running and occasionally pushing through the crowd to get to him. A quickly felt his tension melt away, and he speedily dismounted Ixion and ran over to her. She jumped into his arms and he spun on the spot. They shared a kiss, which destroyed the rest of his tension, and he carried her back to Ixion, helping her mount him, then getting on behind her.

They followed the procession to the Chief's Court, where A and some of the older members of the team were instructed to go on a balcony. A asked Jean

"You know what this is for?" Jean looked at him amusedly and said

"You mean you don't?" A frowned slightly and replied

"I don't tend to keep track of things that don't pertain to me or my job." Jean chuckled and told him

"You might wanna change that. Anyway, you'll see soon enough." After a good deal of talk, A realized this was Rick's coronation as Prince of the Sanctuary, since he had officially married the Princess, Alara. A wide grin split his face when he heard the full story, and he watched as he was officially coronated by a priest. The cheering of the people came and went, and soon a party was under way. It was around that time that A learned something about himself, which wasn't that surprising but all the worse for it; he was a horrible dancer. Because of this, he was forced to stay off the floor, and although he was reluctant about it, he let Green dance with other people, but every time he watched them touch her, his blades grew and irritated growls escaped his throat. Without fail, Green went through dancers fairly quickly.

After a short while, they went back to their den, and although A was in a fairly bad mood, he bid Green a pleasant evening and went to bed, though he felt a sense of unease for reasons not known to him.

The next day, A decided to patch things up with Green, since he felt he had been mad at her for his no-talent dancing. She assured him he hadn't been, but he insisted nonetheless. They sat by the lake, considering this a date of sorts since he couldn't really take them anywhere at the moment. They were just talking about this and that, but A managed to sneak a kiss in. Rick walked up behind them and said

"Sorry to intrude. I hope I didn't interrupt anything important." A grumbled slightly, and Green blushed but said

"No, don't worry about it. What can we do for you?" Rick then presented A with a red cube and told him

"This is the means of transportation I promised you a few months ago." A stared for a moment, then asked

"How's this supposed to get me anywhere?" Rick chuckled and pressed a button that was on the cube's side. He then threw it a few feet away and the cube began to unravel. It soon became a red jet with four wings, enough room for four people, .50 caliber guns mounted on the wings and nose of the jet, a two missile launchers, and four engines. Rick then said

"Say hello to the Falcon Wing. I didn't give it to you a few months ago because it wasn't tested and it was only in a prototype stage, but now it's complete. This jet can reach 100mph in one second. It's super maneuverable, runs on solar power, electric power, and gas. It also has reserve energy tanks, just in case. It's also made for aerial combat, hence the guns and missiles, but I doubt you'll ever get to use them."

A slowly stood and looked it over, then walked over to it and began to inspect it for himself. He was amazed by how compact the thing was, and while he didn't particularly care for the weaponry, he knew at some point he might need it. He turned to Rick and asked

"Okay, this thing is impressive, but was that compaction deal a one-time thing?" Rick shook his head and answered

"No. The keys have a compact button. Speaking of which..." He then threw A the keys to the Falcon Wing.

"It will not compress if it feels someone inside of it. Anyways, it's useful because it is extremely fast, agile, and does not require the den transporter to leave the Sanctuary." A then asked

"So how does it get out? Isn't there a barrier that way?" he motioned out to the beach. Rick replied

"This jet has the unique ability to instantly transport itself outside and inside the Sanctuary...if the person piloting it is allowed in. It does this by instantly breaking apart its particles and the pilot's particles and re-materializing outside." A shivered for a moment, then said

"Sounds painful, but it's probably no different from regular teleportation." Rick chuckled and said

"Don't worry. It may play pinball with your molecules, but it won't hurt you or harm you. However, you need to go through training soon to learn how to use it." A nodded and said

"Oh, of course! I wouldn't trust anyone completely new to flying with something like this either. So, where do I go for training?"

"Today in the afternoon, in the first then military aerial base...yeah it exists now."

"Alright. So leave the Falcon Wing with me and I'll see you this afternoon. What time?"

"Go there at three in the afternoon."

"Gotcha! See you there! I need to check this jet out a little more. Thanks!"

"You're welcome! Bye!" Rick then teleported away.

**[Sanctuary Aerial Base]**

A arrived at the sanctuary Aerial Base and he immediately saw more jets flying overhead. He then found the training area and saw Screech talking to new recruits. He was saying

"Today, I will show you how to basically fly these jets into combat. Be advised, this is the hardest form of combat since you will be moving at all times and at insane speeds. Any questions before we begin?" A answered

"None that I can think of, but then again the questions never come until you actually start. Fortunately, I'm a fast learner, so we shouldn't have any trouble." Screech looked at him and said

"Well I didn't ask you for your life's story, A. For this moment I am your better and your teacher. Which is kinda odd since the Warlord is in this class too." A smirked and replied

"Sorry, sir."

"Alright. Now notice that we're on a cliff. I want all of you to look down." A did so, and accustomed as he was to heights, it barely affected him. The only thing he worried for in the realm of his safety was falling unexpectedly. Short of that, he was fearless. He rather enjoyed the view of the clear skies, though the bottom left a lot to be desired, littered as it was with jagged rocks. Suddenly a gigantic jolt of energy pushed all the recruits off the cliff and sent them freefalling. A cursed after his initial shock, then transformed into a Gallade and began using his psychic powers to slow his descent. Then he stabbed out with both arm blades and practically slammed against the wall.

"Oof. Thank Arceus I thought to _slow_ my descent first. I'm going to kill that walking target when I get back up there." He proceeded to pull his arms out of the cliff face, then stab them in higher, steadily beginning his climb. Suddenly, Screech jumped down and landed on a psychic cushion along with everyone else. He then began to point.

"Fail! Fail! Fail! Fail! Fail! The Warlord's team didn't scream, so Pass!" He looked up at A and said

"Super Fail!"

"Hey, how am I supposed to know what to do?! At least I got creative!" He braced his feet against the cliff, then shoved himself off. He back-flipped through the air, then completely stopped himself with Psychic.

"Geez, is this any better?" Screech looked at him sternly and said

"I was testing your resolve while in freefall and you failed miserably. You should have trusted that I wasn't going to kill you. Point is, you don't use your powers, period! During my course, all you have to rely on is your team, your plane, and the wind." A scowled and retorted angrily

"In real battle, you use what you got, and if that includes powers, then you use them. If you didn't want me to use them, you should have said so. I may be _able_ to read minds, but that doesn't mean I make a habit of it." Screech nodded and replied

"And we'll get to that later. However, for your training you will do as directed. I didn't give you a heads up because I shouldn't have to. The only powers I expect you to use are your mental powers. Training to use your powers while on your plane is a lesson for another time." Screech then added

"I mean no disrespect, but don't go giving me a hard time. I'm trying to train you so you don't go crashing and dying on me." A hesitated, then said

"I'm not trying to give anyone a hard time; I'm just too accustomed to using whatever I have. I'll try to do better."

"I'm sure you won't. However, let me warn you that you can't pull rank on anyone in the army while you're in the Sanctuary. Reason being, you earn your respect in the army, it isn't given. So your whole Guardian of Pokemon thing won't serve you much with these soldiers. As a Commanding Officer, I saw it fit that I should tell you. I've heard things from some soldiers about you and I want to make sure you don't stir up any bad blood." A crossed his arms and considered this development. He started to think.

_"Damn it, I'm just here to learn how to fly my Falcon Wing, and instead I'm told I can't exercise my authority? It's not like I abuse it; I only ever use it when pokemon are in viable danger. Though I guess the chances of that happening at the moment are slim. But still, I can't have this joker telling me how to do my job. Argh, what a tough position to be in." _Rick then said to A mentally

_"He's not telling you how to do your job. He's warning you that some of the soldiers do not trust you or believe in your job. He doesn't want conflict between you and the soldiers. Also, don't disrespect him by calling him a joker. Screech has worked hard to get to where he's at. Sorry for reading your mind, but I didn't like that look on your face or the emotions you were giving out." _A scowled and said out loud

"I'm not trying to make trouble; I just want to learn how to fly. If something threatens to harm pokemon, however, I will not hesitate to assume my role, which is protecting them. Anything that tries to get in my way is a threat to my cause. As long as nothing happens, we won't have problems. If something threatens the Sanctuary, nothing short of death will stop me from doing what I need to."

"I understand where you're coming from. Screech was just trying to be a good ally and warning you. While in training, listen to him since he's the only one that's going to keep you alive in the sky." A thought for another moment, then said

"Fine. I'll give it a shot. I just hope things can be a bit clearer." Screech nodded

"It will be. Now next step is to go to the flight simulation room. You will not pilot a real vessel until you have mastered the simulator. I can't risk a casualty." A nodded and said

"I understand. Lead on." Screech directed the rest of his cadets to a building and pointed to a machine

"This is a flight simulator. I want you all to enter one of them and attempt to fly as long as you can." A entered a simulator whose controls resembled the ones on his Falcon Wing. He looked the systems over again, then thought to himself

_"It may only be a simulator, but it seems like we're jumping into this rather quickly."_ Screech then said

"I know that none of you have training. I just want to know how well you guys can do without it right now. So start the simulations." A grinned and asked himself

"Why does everybody seem to know what I'm thinking? Oh well, let's get started." He looked at the controls again, then grabbed the flight stick and hit the starter. Immediately he was simulated into flying, and he almost crashed before he had the urge to pull the stick toward him, rather than away. He zoomed up, and after a trial/error bases, he started to get the idea of flying. In no time at all, he had mastered aerial maneuvering. Only one thing stumped him now; how does one land this thing? Screech then said

"Alright, I see that you guys have gotten the hang of flying the jets. Now I want you guys to attempt to land them anywhere you feel is appropriate." A hung his head and mumbled

"Of course... alright, let's see what we've got. Where can I land?" He looked around in the simulator, and most of what he saw appeared to be residential areas.

"No way THAT'S happening... is there a clearing somewhere?" He flew on for a bit more, then saw a small area that was devoid of residents, but was indeed small. If he wanted to attempt it, he needed to be very precise about it, and he could hardly afford any error.

"Let's see if there are better options." He pulled up and searched for miles around, but found nothing. He sweatdropped and said

"Geez, it's like I'm being backed into a corner here. Well, might as well, give it a shot. It's only a simulation." He turned the craft around and headed back for the area he spotted before-hand. He circled it for a short time, experimenting with some of the controls. Once he felt confident about his prospects, he pulled away and turned back, lowering his altitude. He began to forget it was just a simulation and truly believed he could cause harm if he screwed up. He licked his lips in his nervousness, then set the plane slightly above the city, nearly scraping the buildings. He plunged into the small empty field, then pulled the throttle back. He slowed the plane, attempting to turn it to gain more room to stop. Eventually the propeller stopped turning, and he fell back against his seat, sighing in relief. Screech then said

"Good job! However, that was too close for comfort and your plane won't have propellers. It'll work on a jet based system. So I'm changing your simulation." The simulation changed and A was hovering in the air.

"Now try to land it." He kept a hand on the controllers, slightly different this time, and rubbed his chin with the other. He looked around and saw that it was much like a jet/hovercraft, which would make it far easier to land, once he found out how. He checked the controls again, alternating with checking his trajectory and altitude. Once he felt confident, he started searching for a place to land. It was almost exactly the same as before, so he found the field and made to land in it. He aimed the jets downward and started easing the thrust on them, slowly descending. Once he touched down, he shut the engines down completely. Screech relayed

"Alright good! 17 out of 20 of you guys landed both crafts safely. So you guys can go home and tomorrow we'll begin combat training." A stepped out of the simulator and wondered

"Who failed?" He thought for a second, then deadpanned to himself

"If it was Jean, I swear..." Jean then walked up to A and said

"I wonder who the idiots to fail were." A grinned and said

"Geez, everything is addressed just as I think of it. Something weird is going on." He looked around for Rick and spotted him speaking with some of the other members. He motioned to him and said

"Well, we should see if any of us are idiots." Screech then appeared with a progress report.

"Alright, everyone but Wayland, Private Elis, and Richter, passed." Screech wrote on the files and told them

"Alright guys go home. I have to prepare the exercises for tomorrow. So go home and rest for now." The group nodded and left the base. Rick then said to A

"I guess I should make it up to you for ruining your date with Green yesterday." A shrugged and said

"Oh, I don't know. I should probably thank you. Once I got this down, I can take us somewhere else for a date. Perhaps the Unovan beaches. They're very nice by sunset, and I hear that Hoenn's Sky Pillar has a great view of the ocean." A hesitated for a moment, then amended

"Okay, I didn't actually hear it anywhere, I saw it for myself, but my point is still valid." Rick chuckled and said

"Well she's your girlfriend now. So you should do what you think is best for the two of you. What you two do on your little dates is between both of you. Don't worry, I won't interrupt again unless it's important." A shivered with excitement and said

"A girlfriend... I have a girlfriend. You know, back in Orre, the strangest wave came around that I wasn't even aware of until after I liberated ONBS. It turns out a lot of girls wanted to... well, let's just say they wanted to get to know me better."

"Well that's to be expected when you're considered a hero."

"I was considered more of a hero than you think; I mean, shadow pokemon were rampant, and they had a tendency to attack trainers, or even regular people, head-on. It was actually quite a sever situation. The original Snagger was nowhere to be found, but lo and behold, a new one had arisen. And with his partners and new Snag Machine, he was demolishing the threat that was known as Cipher. Quite an adventure, I tell you."

"I can tell. So go and have your time with Green. I won't bother you this time."

"It's okay. Are you leaving?"

"Yeah! However, I have a mission for you."

"What is it?"

"There's a recruit in out dossier files named Kileath. Sadly, he was captured my Cipher the other day. Silph Co. told me and has also told me that he is to be taken to their headquarters in a few days. I got the Intel before I came here. If you decide to go, then I will set a group of soldiers to help you."

"No need! I'd rather go alone. I have the Falcon Wing now, so I can do it quickly."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! I need to do some things alone for once." Rick thought about it and said

"Very well. You're an able fighter and I will trust you. However, whenever you need help, do not hesitate to call."

"Will do! Thanks Rick! I'll leave first thing tomorrow." Rick and A shook hands.

"Thank you!" A nodded and teleported back to his home, preparing his supplies for the journey.

The next day, he was in his Falcon Wing, approved for flight since he had passed, and it was highly unlikely that he'd need to battle. He was staying over the land, though, nervous at the moment about the prospect of flying over millions of gallons of salty water that could swallow him up without a trace. He wasn't accustomed to all the gadgets and buttons on the dashboard, but he knew enough to fly with no difficulty, one of the benefits of being such a fast learner. The small screen turned white and beeped, and A was curious about its purpose. He touched the screen, and an image of the Gardevoir he recognized as Tsu Lieng appeared and told him

"Hey A, its Tsu. I'll be Intel and recon guide for this mission. I'll do my usual thing of hacking, briefing, and shutting down operations." A replied

"Good to know; I could use that edge. My own hacking skills will have gotten rusty since I had a grace period where evil seemed to die down a bit. Think you could retrain me by chance?"

"That will have to wait for another time. For now, get ready to head out. We may not have a lot of time." A confirmed it, then sped off in the direction of Unova, speeding straight over the massive expanse of ocean to reach it in decent time. Tsu briefed A

"Alright, Cipher has this holding facility here in Unova. It's underground, but it goes down a fair distance. It's also guarded pretty nicely, so you may want to take a stealthy approach to it."

"Alright, thanks for the warning. Can you give the exact coordinates so I can plan several covert landing sites ahead of time?"

"Scanning...well there are some good landing zones about a mile north west from the location. It's a small clearing in the forest, just enough for the Falcon Wing to land in, and enough for it to hide really well. If you want, I can activate the Falcon Wing's active camouflage."

"Can't I do that from right here? If not, that's a serious lapse."

"You can. Do you know how to use the on board computer?" A looked at all the buttons and gadgets and sweatdropped, saying

"Okay, I see where you're going with this. I haven't had much time to practice with this yet, though."

"Alright, so contact me when you get there." A confirmed and let the communication cut off. He flew on, activating the cloaking device when he spotted land a few hours later. He assumed full on stealth, then angled right at Lacunosa, veering off when he spotted Giant Chasm. He flew in the indicated direction from Rick, and he noticed that the majority of the land was empty, but since Tsu had claimed these were underground encampments, he knew there was more than he could see.

"Alright, I'm here; what's next?" Tsu sounded as if she just woke up

"Oh you made it?" A sweatdropped and asked

"Were you asleep?"

"I didn't know when was the next time I would catch some 'Z's so I decided to just sleep until you arrived." A grumbled

"Lucky." Then he snapped to it and told her

"Yeah, I've just arrived. Where's a safe location I can park?"

"One, there's an auto-pilot feature. Two, four hundred meters to the north." A nodded and moved to the location, then landed silently and told her

"I'm going to rest before going in. I want my wits about me for this. Anything I should know before I do?"

"No, by the Intel I'm gathering, the Samurott should be safe for a few days. So you have time to rest. You'll probably want to go in at night." A nodded and pulled out his trainer's all-purpose device, setting the alarm for midnight. He set it on the dashboard and leaned his seat back. Then he said

"See you in several hours." Then he calmed his mind down, and soon after he did, shadowy monoliths began to surge in his mind, but their presence was so soft it did nothing more than unnerve him in a way he couldn't explain. Throughout his rest, A began to experience a recall of his past with shadow pokemon, of the endless number of attacks he had suffered, the trainers with their horrible, accusing eyes that he stole from, and the times that Jovi, his mother or some member of the Pokemon Research Lab had been in danger when he was purifying them. The alarm went off, causing him to jolt up with a shout of primal fear, slamming his head against the ceiling of the Falcon. He clutched his head with one hand and shut off the alarm with the other. Once he stopped it, he noticed he was covered in a light sheen of cold sweat, and he felt worse than when he first began to rest. Nevertheless, he shook himself and contacted Tsu.

"Hey Tsu, you there?"

"I woke up when you started yelling. What happened?" A frowned and asked

"I was yelling?"

"You started shouting out of nowhere. It was probably just a nightmare. You're lucky the Falcon Wing is soundproof." A shook his head and replied

"I don't remember any nightmare. And believe me, I remember every nightmare I've ever had. It's not something you tend to forget, especially with the intensity I have them."

"Well let's dismiss this and just get to the task at hand. Luckily for you there is a chance in the patrols in a few minutes. Now will be the best time to get inside." A nodded and replaced all his items in their designated locations, then donned the Snag Machine. He shouldered his pack and asked

"Are you going to be using the ear communicator to relay information now?" "Yes. I also added a cool feature to the Shadow Visor. Now you can locate Shadow Pokemon from a distance. Not only that, I can send you Intel through there." A nodded and said

"Good to know. That's going to be a big help. Can it sense through walls, by any chance?"

"Only if there's a Shadow Pokemon behind it. I didn't want to mess with the visor's purpose."

"Okay, that's fine. Where do I find the entrance?" Allen's voice then came through the communication

"Easy, look for a cave that's near the actual entrance to the Giant Chasm." Tsu then asked

"Allen, how did you get on this broadcast?"

"I heard A went on a special mission and I thought I could help. So I went to sleep for a bit after I heard that you two were going to sleep. I'm here to help."

"Answer my question please."

"I just tuned in with our clearance files. I figured A could use someone who knows how to hijack computer and electrical software. Which means all locks, communication, and security systems will be offline." A huffed and said

"I used to be able to do all that stuff, and I had to teach myself. No doubt the technology's changed, though. I'm going to have a very full plate on my return." Allen chuckled and said

"Yeah, but you have me and Tsu for right now. So we're at your service." A sighed and walked to the indicated entrance. He noticed a number pad, obviously an encoded password was required.

"Alright, what do I do here?"

"Just stand back and watch good old Allen take care of that." Suddenly, five buttons began to glow, one after the other, and a secret door opened.

"And there you have it." A paused for a moment, then said

"Wow, I have got to learn how to do that. But first let's take care of this." He disappeared from view and went inside, silently closing the door behind him, hearing the lock click. A carefully looked around and saw a three-way set of halls, one in front of him, and one on each side.

"Alright, which direction do I go first?" Tsu then said

"This is my territory." After a short pause Tsu said

"Take the right. The left leads to the grunt chambers. We do not want to be there." A scowled and replied

"Says you. They might have shadow pokemon, and I can't ignore that."

"So what are you going to do?"

"They should all be asleep by now, so I'll sneak in and confiscate their pokemon. Because they couldn't be considered as responsible trainers, I can get by saying that, as a Knight and the Guardian of Pokemon, I must liberate them from the shackles their imprisoned under."

"How about you check your Aura Reader to see if they have them."

"Can it see through pokeballs? It didn't have that function before."

"Yes, I figured that it'll make it easier." A simply nodded and walked along the left hall, coming across several doors. He looked inside and spotted many Cipher PEONS, apparently sleeping peacefully. He repressed a shudder of loathing and activated the Aura Reader, which showed that without fail each PEON had at least two shadow pokemon.

"Alright. Just take them and let's get this over with." A didn't respond but began to disappear and reappear between them, lightly plucking the pokeballs with shadow pokemon off and storing them in his pack. On a whim, he decided to take their regular pokemon, too. He was glad then that it was currently empty. He visited the other rooms, finding similar results. When he finished, he had a gathering of nearly two hundred shadow pokemon. He came back to the three-way hall and huffed, saying

"Glad I decided to make a little detour."

"I'm not! You could have been found out."

"Yeah, like I would have let these bastards get away with shadow pokemon right under my nose. Besides, they couldn't see me; I was under stealth mode."

"However, that's not perfect stealth."

"It got the job done; let's move on."

"Just go to the right path until you reach another crossroads. Then take another right. There is a security elevator there. Allen will hack into the mainframe and open it for you." A nodded and took the indicated path, often checking doors. Fortunately, there was nothing more than some storage rooms. He wasn't found and he eventually reached the elevator, stepping in.

"What floor am I taking?" Allen told him

"The ninth floor. It's the holding area. So I'm guessing we get all those Pokemon out and blow the place to kingdom come."

"That's the idea. Is there a reactor I'm supposed to overload or something?" He hit the button with the number nine on it and began the descent.

"These guys are idiots. They have not shielded their mainframes from a remote self-destruct sequence. I can activate it from here and set a time limit." A facepalmed and said

"Self-destruct buttons. Great for wiping evidence, but failing to protect it? Villains almost never learn."

"So when you're done, I'll try to put an ideal amount of time for you to get out. Just get that guy, bust out the Pokemon, and get the hell out of there before we have to bury you in pieces." A smirked and replied

"Easy to transform and teleport, so that's one less problem. Is our target in a cell of some sort? And do you know if he's been tainted or not?" Tsu replied

"Scanning subject and scanning vitals...he's in a cell and he has not been tainted in any way. Apparently, he's been in a form a meditation that has made it impossible, so far, for them to make any progress with him. He won't feel pain, nor be swayed from his concentration."

"Even if I capture him? That's probably the safest way out. Can I get away with it?"

"Rick will not be happy if you do that."

"I can release him right after. Besides, how else am I supposed to get him safely out without tripping some kind of trap?"

"I have a feeling that the area around him is rigged."

"So catching him seems the best option to me."

"Do what you think is best, but you'll have to face Rick, not me."

"I'm going to let him out right after I get us out of this Arceus-forsaken place. We should be good then." The elevator finally stopped and he stepped out, seeing much of the room was devoted to a mechanical platform, on top of which lay a Samurott, looking a bit worse for wear. A activated the Aura Reader to double-check, but he showed no signs of taintment, which relieved him. Then he brought out a Net Ball, hoping this worked the first time. He threw the ball in a high arc, over the machines, and it hit him on the back. He was immediately sucked in, the ball rocked one, two, three times, then clicked. A transformed and removed the Snag Machine, then used Psychic to carefully lift the pokeball out of the mess of wires and whatever else he couldn't name at the moment. As soon as the pokeball left the field, an alarm began to go off like crazy. He brought the Net Ball to him, then teleported back to his Falcon, relaying

"Okay, I got him. Blow the place sky high." Then he turned the ball around and held the middle button for five seconds. A loud beeping rang out and asked for identification and confirmation to release. He gave it, and the pokeball snapped in half, permanently releasing the Samurott. The Samurott opened his eyes and looked around. He then made eye contact with A. He didn't speak, but A could tell that he saw him as an enemy, by the way he looked at him.

"Look, I'm sorry, but it was the only way I could think of that would safely get you out." Then an explosion shook the ground and lit up the sky, and he smirked.

"Well, that's one mission down. You shouldn't have to worry about Cipher anymore. And I promise I'm not going to capture you again. That was a one-time move, and you're free now." The Samurott then said

"Do you want to rescue the other Pokemon?"

"Already have. I got 'em all."

"So you found the Pokemon holding facility?"

"Yes. You didn't think I was going to blow a place up without checking for innocent lives first, did you?"

"How do I know that I can trust you? Who are you?" A unclipped the badge from his belt and displayed it, catching the moonlight so the symbol was clearly visible.

"My name is Alpha. I am the White Knight of Arceus, and the Guardian of Pokemon. I was sent here from the Sanctuary, a safe area for those of the Ralts family line, though there have been recent exceptions. I understood that you had been captured by Cipher and were important to the cause against the gathered evil teams from each region."

"I believe you, however, if you are who you say you are, then you wouldn't mind helping me with something before you take me away."

"That kind of depends on what you have in mind."

"I need your help on capturing a fugitive from my home village. The one who gave me to Cipher...my own brother." A blinked, then considered it. Then he asked

"And what do you intend to do if we find him?"

"One of two things: arrest him, take him back to our home village, and lock him up. The other option is to just kill him."

"Well, I won't kill him, nor will I help you do so. However, I can respect arresting him and locking him up. If your village decrees execution, I won't argue. However, I would ask you not to seek that sentence for him. Do we have an agreement?"

"We have an agreement. No doubt the shoguns will sentence him to death though."

"Well, that's their business, which I have no business in. Where do you think we could find your brother?"

"Near Black City. That's where I last saw him. I can't say that I want my brother to die, but he has to pay for his crimes and I can't just sit idly by." A nodded and motioned to the Falcon, saying

"I have a method of transport, so we'll be there in short time. Let me just make sure my allies know what I'm going to be doing." He hit the button and asked

"Hey Tsu, d'you get any of that just now?" The screen turned on with Tsu and Allen appearing on a split screen, and Tsu then said

"Yep! All of it."

"Alright then. Make sure Rick knows that the mission was a success and I'll bring him back once we've settled his business." Allen then asked

"How long do you intend on being gone?" A thought for a moment, then asked the Samurott

"Is your brother likely to flee?"

"No, he's too proud to do that. My name is Kileath, by the way."

A nodded and told Tsu and Allen

"Okay, barring any unforeseen attacks, we should be done within the week, easily." Allen sat back in his chair and said

"A week? Dude, I wonder how Green will do all alone like that."

"Well, as long as she follows what I said and doesn't mess with the shadow pokemon, she should be fine. She's a big girl, and I'm a big boy. We can handle ourselves."

"Well, we should check up on her from time to time."

"I'll be doing that via video chat. I'll contact her tomorrow morning. Just make sure Rick doesn't ride my ass over this mission, okay?"

"Alright. So what do you need done?"

"I think we can handle everything on this end." He looked over and asked Kileath

"Do we need any tech support where we're headed?"

"I don't use tech, but they may come in handy." A nodded, then asked

"Can you guys go on standby without causing suspicion?" Tsu nodded.

"Of course!"

"Okay, thanks." Then he cut the communication and turned to Kileath.

"Do you know if you get airsick, or motion sickness?" Kileath replied

"I've never flown before. However, I do not get sick."

"Alright, then." He looked back into the Falcon, then said

"This wasn't originally designed to carry a passenger with your distinct bodily shape, but maybe I can mess with the seats into something more comfortable."

"I don't care what you do. I just need to find my brother." A nodded, then jumped over the craft and landed on the other side, opening the compartment and adjusting the seats, finding they could flatten to the floor, creating a sort of cushion. He stood back up and scratched his head, musing

"Maybe this was made to accommodate more than I assumed." Then he refocused and said

"Alright, try this out and see if it's comfortable for you." Kileath got on and adjusted himself inside.

"This will do nicely." A nodded and told him

"I'm going to have to take it easy, since there's no way to buckle you in." He closed the compartment door and secured it, then hopped over to his side and got in, starting the engine after checking his safety measures, then angled at Black City, seeing the large, bright buildings in the distance. He took off at a reasonably safe speed, going camouflage.

"Are you going to use those two to locate my brother?"

"Give me something to work with; who is your brother, and what is he? What's the name of your village?"

"My village is named Ogawa. My younger brother is another Samurott named Koil. He was a lieutenant for my father, the High Shogun of our village. I was a commander." A nodded and flicked on the screen, asking

"You guys get that?" Allen and Tsu replied

"Yep!"

"Okay then, see what you can pull up." A kept the Falcon flying straight on, occasionally checking Kileath for any signs of sickness, but all he found was implacable determination. Then Tsu and Allen reappeared on the screen. A asked

"Whattya got for me?" Tsu replied

"Well we have found the presence of a Samurott somewhere about ten miles east of the city." A cut down the noise on the engines and checked their position, finding themselves around that area. Then he looked below and thought he spotted a Samurott walking along the ground below them, and he asked Kileath

"Is that your brother?" Kileath went to look and when he saw the Samurott, he forced the cockpit open and dove down to him, shouting

"KOIL!" The Samurott turned around and was knocked down by Kileath. Kileath then stood up and began to beat his brother. His brother quickly kicked him off and both drew their blades. Koil asked Kileath

"How the hell did you escape!?"

"I had some help!" A landed the Falcon, then exited and jumped over the side. He transformed into his Gallade form, then extended his blades, placing them on the ground and focusing on his steel powers. After a moment, he brought forth shackles that he picked up, then approached Koil. Koil noticed him and swung his semitar at him, trying to hit him with a Razor Shell. A quickly shifted the shackles to his left hand, drawing his right blade and deflecting the strike. Then he kicked Koil under the chin, flipping him onto his back. Moving faster than the eye could follow, he dexterously placed the shackles on his forelegs, then placed his palms at two notches he had set into the bases, filling them with Psychic energy. He flipped Koil to his side and reappeared in front of him, telling him

"I've sealed those with my Psychic energy; as long as it's there, any energy you try and use will divert to it and be absorbed, adding to its power, and those shackles will not break." Kileath then walked over and kicked his brother in the head, knocking him out.

"Let's go!" A picked him up and carried him over to the Falcon, tossing him into the backseat. Then he closed the door after Kileath, hopped in himself, sticking to his Gallade form, and then took off, contacting Tsu and Allen.

"Great job with the information, guys; we managed to find him. Now I'll be busy making sure this goes well." Allen then asked

"So what do you think it'll be? Seppuku or beheading?" Tsu scolded him.

"That is in poor taste, Allen!"

"Hey! In samurai culture, that's how it's supposed to be." A shrugged and said

"It's not really any of my business. I'm just going to be sticking nearby so I can escort Kileath to the Sanctuary once we finish his business in Ogawa." Tsu then said

"Still, if they call for an execution, what will Kileath do then?" A smirked, then asked

"Well, Kileath? If they DO call for execution, what will your response be? After all, he IS your brother." Kileath sighed as he looked at his brother

"The final word usually goes to my father. Unless my father gives me the honors, I cannot do anything." A nodded and accepted the answer, and he focused on finding the village where Koil would meet his fate, whatever it cast for him. After a few minutes of flight, Kileath looked outside and said

"There it is." Allen noticed his tone and asked

"Having second thoughts?" Kileath shook his head and replied

"No. By my family's honor, I have to do this. However, I don't want to lose another brother. My eldest brother committed suicide. All I have left is Koil and my little sister, but now it seems that my sister will be all that's left of my family. Our mother died years ago." A hesitated, then descended, knowing from experience what a Samurott's honor meant; it was the same case with Gallade and Bisharp. The two got off and walked down the streets with Koil in tow. All the Pokemon in the town stared at A, many not expecting to see a Gallade in their town. As they walked on Koil woke up.

"Ugh...wait...what? HUH!? Where are you two taking me?" Kileath replied

"To be tried by father and the Shogun Order." Koil paled horribly and shouted

"NO! They'll put me to death!" A scoffed and retorted

"Well, what do you expect after betraying your own brother to Cipher? I, personally, would be severely hurt if someone close to me sold me out the way you did."

"I had no choice!" A rolled his eyes and replied

"We all have a choice, and you made the wrong one. But out of curiosity, who threatened you?"

"Cipher didn't threaten me...they threatened my family. More specifically, my daughter." A paused now, and he asked

"And you didn't tell anyone else? You did not seek help from your fellows?"

"They told me not to. However, after I gave them my brother, I found out it was a lie." A's thoughts swirled, and his protective instincts kicked in.

"Did they kidnap your family?" he asked in a low tone, so that no one else could hear, except possibly Kileath.

"No. They told me that they had their sights on my daughter and if I didn't do this, they would kill her. However, I found out that they never did. They tricked me to get my brother and play some sick joke so that my own people would execute me."

"Hmm… well, then I can't in good consciousness condemn you. If your system allows you to defend yourself, you should present this argument."

"Sadly, most of the Shogun Order members are stubborn old men. They won't listen to me and my brother is not allowed to speak unless he is given permission to do so. You can't speak either. Those stupid old fools!"

Kileath then hit him in the stomach, causing him to grunt in pain, "I'm sorry, but I cannot have you speaking negatively of the Shogun Order." A frowned and said

"I understand you all have your honor, but would you really not take into account the accused's side of the story? You could well put an innocent being down. Wouldn't that be a bigger smirch on your honor?"

"Unfortunately by the law here, I have to treat him like a criminal until my father announces his innocence." A growled to himself, then said

"Is he at least sensible enough to listen to reason?"

"If he doesn't allow me to speak, then my brother is as good as dead. The Shogun Order has to give the charges and prosecute my brother. My father might not even let me defend him, or him defend himself. Either way, he and my father have not always been on the same page. They've been at odds since my brother married his wife." A growled aloud this time, and he said

"As the Guardian of Pokemon, I cannot allow this lapse in judgment to affect the outcome of this trial. Koil, do you know who threatened your family? Can you give me details of what he, she, or they looked like?" Koil lifted his head in pain and said

"He had reed hair, sunglasses, red and black robes, and a stupid grin." A flinched and said incredulously

"Eldes?! That can't be right! He rebelled against Cipher's motives!" Tsu then contacted him from his communicator

"Well, now he runs Cipher. He's their leader."

"What?! That's impossible! What about his brother, Ardos? He's the one who told me he'd revive Cipher, so why isn't he taking the reins?"

"Eldes got rid of him, so he can eliminate all opposition." A's knees felt weak, and he stumbled before catching himself. He looked up at the sky, remembering his arguments against Cipher's motives, their methods, and his desire to fight a true trainer's battle.

"What happened? I thought he was the one ray of hope, of light, in the evil darkness that was Cipher."

"Apparently, he wasn't strong enough to resist." A shook his head, then focused back on the task at hand.

"Okay, do you have any idea where he went? Maybe I can catch him and force him to confess, sparing you." Kileath replied

"Where who went?"

"The one who threatened your family, Eldes. Red hair, sunglasses, matching clothes to his hair, possibly demented grin?" Koil replied

"No...he just vanished with a group of guards." A struck his left palm with his right fist.

"Damn! So what am I supposed to do?"

"I heard him mumble something about him going to meet with someone named Giovanni." Immediately A practically smashed the button on his communicator and demanded

"Tsu, tell me you have the location of Giovanni." Tsu replied sadly

"Sorry, but we've never been able to track him." A very nearly cursed loudly, but he abstained enough to vent his rage on a tree that he split evenly, scattering the birds sitting on the branches. Kileath then said to him

"Can you calm your rage for a minute so you can help me?" A breathed deeply, then turned and said

"It seems there's little I can actually do at the moment, but I'll try." Suddenly, two Samurott guards arrived and took Koil from their hands. One of the guards told them

"Follow us to the Shogun Order Palace. The trial will begin immediately." A felt ill-prepared, especially since he had no defense, assuming he could even do something of the sort. Nevertheless, he followed. The guards led the two to a large Japanese style building. They were led in and saw group of seven older Samurotts sitting in front of them. One had a silver robe on and made a gesture to the guards. The guards then hit Koil in the gut and forced him to bow before the older Samurotts. A looked around and saw a small crowd of Pokemon sitting around the court. He then noticed a female Vaporeon that seemed more anxious than anyone in the court. Kileath then told him

"That's Mira. Koil's wife." A thought he understood now why Koil's father hated him; he married outside of their specie's line, which was probably deemed unacceptable. He reached out with his mind and touched hers, saying

"_Don't worry, I'll do my best to see to it he gets pardoned. I understand better what happened."_ Mira replied

"_Thank you, sir. However, I doubt his father will let him defend himself, or you to defend him."_ Kileath then explained

"If you believe that my father hates him because you think that interspecies relationships are not allowed here, then think again. They are allowed, but my father does not condone it in the family." A scowled and whispered

"What a pathetic excuse. A true family should love each other, despite whatever differences they may have." The Samurott with the silver robes then said

"The trial of Koil shall begin! Shogun Mury, list the charges." One of the Samurotts then read off a list

"Treason, dishonor, betrayal, trafficking, and abandonment."

"Then I'm going to make this quick." Koil lifted his head, still in pain and looked at the Samurott. Koil then pleaded

"F...fa...father, d...don't."

"Koil, there is no evidence here to prove your innocence and this is the last time you break my family's honor. I hereby sentence you to death by beheading. You will executed at noon tomorrow. May Arceus have mercy on your soul! Take him away!" A stepped forward and said

"Wait, he does have evidence! He described the person who forced him to commit this act, which he only did in an act of desperation to protect his family. However, he was tricked, and based on the description he gave, I know exactly who is responsible for this." A guard quickly walked up to A and hit him in the gut and then in the back of the head. Kileath's father then said

"You are not to speak unless given permission!" Kileath then said

"Father, please listen!"

"Away with you and your guest! Guards! Escort my son and his guest to his home and make sure they do not leave until the execution!" A score of guards then dragged A and Kileath to a large home on the other side of the town. They were locked inside and guards were stationed outside the doors of the house. Inside, Kileath was pacing the floor anxiously and Koil's wife was crying her eyes out. A clenched his hands into white-knuckled fists, and he cursed and kicked at a wall. He turned to Kileath and said

"You'll have to forgive me, but your father is a fool to be so quick as to execute his son." He considered it for a moment, then said

"I could easily break out of here and take down the guards, but that would hardly endear me. However, I must stop the execution of an innocent pokemon." He hit the communicator and said

"Tsu, I'm open to any ideas that might help. Please tell me I can do something to make this… elder… see some sense and not execute his innocent son." Tsu replied sadly but calmly

"A, we can't do anything. We can't risk it. Attacking will only sour the Sanctuary's relations in the Unova region. If you try anything it will make Rick look bad, and no doubt Rick will take action. We can't risk conflict. We've told Rick the situation and his doing his best to get him out of his death sentence. Believe it or not, Rick has spoken to some of those elders, but they are all so stubborn. Rick is trying not to take military action."

"So you expect me to sit back and let them murder an innocent pokemon, who was only acting out of concern for his family?! What sort of Guardian am I if I let this fly past my nose?! I couldn't forgive myself!" After a moment and no response, he cursed and was very near his rending point, but he held back and asked

"Is there really absolutely nothing that can be done? Couldn't even Arceus make them see sense?"

"We have nothing." Kileath then said

"White Knight, please don't dishonor my family by doing this. I want to save him...but I don't know how." A clenched his fist, then punched himself in the face, giving himself a bloody nose. He swiped at his face, then said

"I'm sorry. I have tried to uphold my role as Guardian of Pokemon. But in this, I have failed miserably." He looked over at Mira, and he couldn't face her. He went over to a corner to seek solace and silently beg Arceus' forgiveness for his failure. As he was begging, he heard the sound of shuffling from the floor above him. The sound traveled from a room to the stairs and soon a little Eevee came running down and sat next to Mira. The Eevee nuzzled her and asked

"Momma, where's daddy?" Mira didn't reply, she just held her daughter and cried harder.

"Momma, why are you crying?" Kileath walked to A and told him

"That's Koil's daughter, Sana. His family lives in my home, ever since their own home was struck by lightning and burned down. Misfortune seems to follow Koil everywhere he goes. This is the peak. I've taken care of Koil and his family for years, before Sana was born." A sniffed and contacted Tsu again.

"Can we move Koil's family to the Sanctuary? I get the overwhelming feeling they won't find peace here, and I feel responsible for this." Tsu replied

"That's up to Rick, not me. However, I doubt that he'll deny it." A voice then came over the communication.

"I won't." A sighed in relief, then he said

"I'm sorry, Rick. I thought I was accomplishing a greater good. But I've really just ruined things."

"How did you ruin things?"

"I condemned an innocent pokemon to death! I've ruined his family! What kind of Guardian of Pokemon does that?!"

"You didn't do that" Rick tried to assure him.

"The hell I didn't! I captured and bound him in chains and dragged him back to the very society that will behead him, and they're so stuck up in their petty rules that they won't even give him a fighting chance! Tell me, does that make me sound innocent?" Rick told him sternly

"A, it's not your fault. You just know that you can't mess with a society's honor system. I don't agree with it either. Gallades have a different honor system." A sighed and deflated on himself, replying dully

"That may be true, but it in no way makes this easier to deal with. I feel like I have majorly failed, Rick. I couldn't protect one pokemon because I couldn't gather the evidence in time. Even if it wouldn't have helped, I would have felt marginally better for having tried."

"A, just rest. I'll try everything in my power to stop this execution from happening. Until then, just...don't do anything rash." A sighed again and said

"Alright, I'll go easy. But this is going to eat away at me for a while." He cut the communication and told Kileath

"Warlord Aeruthael will do everything in his power to stop the execution, but there's no guarantee of anything." After a moment, he looked over at Mira and said

"I need to convince her to come along with us. She won't be safe here." Kileath replied

"She'll be safe here, but she might not want to stay here. If Koil dies, take her and Sana to the Sanctuary." A nodded and replied

"I plan to. But I want to convince her first. When do you think the best time will be?"

"Tomorrow. Right now, she won't want to go anywhere."

"It's not like we can anyway. And I don't care much what you claim; I feel that she's not safe here, in this village, at all. I should have enough room in the Falcon for all three of you."

"Let's just attempt to sleep. Tomorrow, let's hope the Arch Shogun fixes this problem. Also, that what we called Warlord Aeruthael here, the Arch Shogun, as Arceus instructed us to give him our highest honor until the Rocket Crisis is over."

"Then Koil may stand a chance. Still, we shouldn't guarantee anything." He looked around, then asked

"Do you mind if I take the couch?"

"Not at all. I'll see you in the morning." Kileath then went to Mira and Sana and led them upstairs, with Mira still sobbing. A sighed and walked over, shrugging off his coat and lying down, draping it over himself. He sent a silent good luck to Rick's efforts, gave a covert prayer to Arceus for the best, then fell into an uneasy sleep.

This time his nightmares were more prominent. Tonight he dreamt about his pokemon, and for some reason, gruesome deaths that were never the same. It was amazing, really, how easy it was to kill someone, and in so many ways. Around the middle of the night, he shot up into a sitting position, screaming Umbra's name. However, as soon as he did that, he forgot the severity of the nightmare, only that it concerned those he loved. His coat and the couch beneath him were drenched.

The following morning, the three were waiting until noon, to be let out of the house. At 11:45, the guards opened the doors and quickly dragged them out and led them to the execution grounds. Once there, they were situated in the closest location to the execution ground and then saw as the Shogun Order members walked into the area and sat down. Kileath's father then commanded

"Bring out the condemned!" As soon as the command was given, two guards dragged Koil out to the center of the field, with a trail of blood following. A and Mira gasped when they saw him. He was horribly beaten, he had cut everywhere, he had bruises throughout his body, sores, and lacerations. He was obviously whipped, beaten, and flogged. Koil laid on the cold stone of the ground, motionless, with his head facing A and the others. He looked at them and tried to lift his head, but instead coughed up blood. Mira quickly adverted her gaze by sinking her face into Kileath's shoulder. A's hands clenched into fists, but he would not disrespect Koil by averting his eyes. He held himself high, intending to give him a warrior's send-off. Kileath's father then said

"Koil, you are hereby sentenced to death by means of beheading. You are to be executed before the presence of your community. We'll give you these last few moments to pray and hope that Arceus has mercy on you and your soul." Koil closed his eyes and A could see his lips moving, telling him that he was praying to Arceus. Very quickly, the tears began to fall out of Koil's eyes as he kept praying. Then he opened his eyes and made eye contact with his wife and appeared to be trying to say something, but couldn't speak because of all the blood being coughed up. Kileath's father then said coldly

"Very well. I hope you made your peace with Arceus. Now, it's time to die." He then looked at Kileath and told him

"Kileath, you will have the honor to kill him." A looked over and wondered what he would do. Whatever he chose, though, A knew that he would ultimately lose. Kileath walked forward and drew his semitar and walked up to his brother. Two guards then lifted Koil and made him bow his head. Kileath was visibly hesitating as he lifted the semitar over his head, and then the tears began to fall. Kileath's father then commanded

"Kill him!" Kileath didn't move.

"Maybe you did not hear. Kill him!" Kileath shook his head.

"Damn it, son! I order you to kill him!" Kileath then growled and shouted

"I can't and won't!" A wanted do something, interfere, but he promised Rick he wouldn't do so. However, he fully supported Kileath in his decision, knowing he was risking possible ostracizing from his father and clan. Kileath's father then demanded

"And why not!?" Kileath growled at his father and said

"I have proof! But you were too stubborn to listen. He's innocent!" He then gave one of the Order members a diary entry from Cipher PEON. The member read it and said,

"This is striking evidence!" Kileath's father then took it out of the member's hands and read it, then asked

"What is this?"

"It's a diary entry I took from one of my captors, which proves that Koil was not to blame for his actions. He was trying to protect his family as any honorable husband and father would do. The only one who was dishonorable was you father!" A then stepped forward and relayed

"The group that kidnapped Kileath calls itself Cipher. They specialize in creating shadow pokemon, which are tainted by shutting the doors to their hearts in return for unlocking their full power. In this form, they can only feel rage and hatred, and I was sent by Warlord Aeruthael to save Kileath from this fate. I infiltrated Cipher's base and managed to free him with some help from my allies. Then Kileath asked my help to apprehend Koil, believing he had betrayed him. But when Koil relayed what had happened, it was clearly obvious who the true culprit was." Kileath began to angrily approach his father, with his semitar firmly grasped.

"So you beat an innocent being! Your own son! You denied him the chance to defend himself and prove his innocence! Then, you sentence him to death! Finally, you tried to have him executed...by his own brother's hand! As far as him and I are concerned, we have no father!" As he approached he was blocked by soldier. He swung his semitar and the soldiers went flying away. He soon reached his father and glared at him.

"Let Arceus stop me now from making your own head roll on these stones!" A quickly caught his arm and stopped him from swinging his blade. Suddenly, a voice came from above

"Oh? So I don't have to make a storming entrance?" A recognized it as Screech's voice and looked up to see the Mercury in battle mode, hovering over the village. Screech then said

"You know, these elders accomplished something that very few people have ever succeeded in doing. They actually managed to make the Warlord lose his patience and angered him. He sent me and a handful of soldiers to come and retrieve the prisoner, by any means necessary, but it looks like deadly force won't be necessary...though he told me to avoid using that." A sweatdropped at the sight of the Mercury ready to nuke the place, then shook his head and forced Kileath's arm back down, saying

"I am not Arceus, but I _do_ serve as his Knight, so I'll have to do for now. I can understand your rage, but two wrongs will never make a right." He turned to their father and said

"Your traditions are held to by your honor, and while I can respect the sanctity of honor, you nearly condemned an innocent to a horrible fate, and your own son to boot. I think you need to reevaluate your trial systems; give the accused a chance to present a defense, and make your judgments based on the merit of the defense versus the severity of the crime. If you find that the crime clashes with the defense's alibi, conduct an investigation. Many innocent lives could be saved this way." Screech then asked

"So is everything okay, A?" A sighed in relief and replied

"It seems like it. Thanks for the interference; I think it helped."

"No problem! Now get those guys out of there and get their things. We're getting out of here." A nodded and walked forward, helping Koil up and supporting him to his wife. He wasn't as adept at using healing moves the way Rick and Alara did, but he focused deep and waved his hand over him, using Healing Pulse. It didn't seal all the wounds, but it did stop the immediate bleeding. Mira quickly ran to their home and grabbed her daughter and belongings, with Kileath following. They took all they needed and walked over to where the Mercury had landed. Kileath then asked A

"Will my brother be alright?" A hesitated, then said

"Physically, I'm positive. However, this might have left some emotional damage. I suggest you let him get some rest, and make sure Mira doesn't leave his side. If I'm right about their relationship, she will be invaluable to his recovery." D.A.S.I then told A

"Get him on board and into the infirmary." A did so, Mira following shortly behind, her daughter with Kileath. Once A checked him in and saw to it that they were secure, he made his way to his room to relax a bit. D.A.S.I then asked A

"So, do we head out now?" A nodded and headed off to his room, feeling remarkably tired, but he wasn't sure where it was coming from. He slipped inside and laid down on the bed, almost instantly falling asleep. After a minute, the nightmares began again, and this time they involved his family members. He saw his father killed, over and over again, like a bad reel. Then his imagination went wild on his fear, and showed him his mother and sister, strung up and tortured. He himself was strapped down to a chair in front of them, forced to endure until he told them what they wanted. As badly as he wanted to, his mouth seemed stuck.

The tears poured down his face, in both his nightmare and in reality, as he tried to divulge everything they wanted, listening to every scream from his mother not to tell them anything, and the cries of his little sister for them to stop, for her mom, dad, and big brother to help her. A was thrashing on his bed, and he leapt up and tried to run from the horror, still asleep, until he slammed into the door, denting it a bit. He slammed to the floor and woke up, panting heavily. He grabbed his head, then looked around and asked

"What happened? What's wrong with me?" D.A.S.I then appeared on the holopad in A's room and asked him concernedly

"Are you alright? You seemed to be having a serious nightmare." A shook his head, thinking something sounded profoundly true about that, but if it was true, it was strange that he couldn't remember what it was. Then again, considering the intensity his nightmares had a tendency to take, it was probably better that he couldn't remember. He stood and rubbed the pain out of his forehead, still feeling tired.

"Damn it, I must have been having nightmares all week so far. I keep waking up tired." D.A.S.I asked

"Do you need to return to the Sanctuary on the double?" A sat back on his bed, grabbing his head. Then he sighed and said

"Let me check with the infirmary on-board and see if they can give me an explanation. If not, I'll get a check-up in the Sanctuary." He walked over to the door, fighting with it since he had unconsciously dented it. As he walked to the infirmary, Rick contacted him

"A, are you there?" A yawned and hit the button, replying

"Yeah. Whazzup?"

"What happened there in the town? I have to know."

"Basically, after I… arrested Koil and brought him back, he told me what happened. I tried to figure out more, but we were almost immediately taken to the case. His father read the charges once, then condemned him to a beheading, not even giving the poor guy a chance at defense! So I tried to help, and Kileath backed me up, but we were placed under house arrest with Koil's wife and daughter until the execution. Then we were practically dragged out, and since you asked me not to make waves I didn't fight back, then he was brought out, already beaten bloody. He was given his final prayers, and Kileath was told to kill his own brother. But he refused to. Kileath was about to kill his father, but I stopped him, and that's when Screech came in."

"Well at least you managed to stop the execution...you did stop the execution, didn't you?"

"Technically I couldn't do anything to stop it without alienating us. It was Kileath who refused to kill his brother, so I accredit him with the stopping of Koil's execution. However, I _did_ stop Kileath from executing his father. I'm sure Kileath has renounced him, but that may have been in the heat of the moment."

"Where is Kileath and his family?"

"Koil is in the infirmary right now, and his wife and daughter should be with them. I'm actually on the way there myself."

"To see them?"

"Well, sort of. Multiple sources have told me that I'm apparently having nightmares. Since I started this mission, whenever I go to sleep, I always wake up more tired than before. But I don't think it's nightmares, because I remember every nightmare I've ever had. I'm checking to see if my fatigue is being caused by an external source, but I'll get an update on Koil if you want."

"Please do send me one. Don't bother coming to see me when you get here. Go home and rest. I'll handle Kileath and his family."

"Okay, I'll let them know." He cut the line and walked inside the infirmary, where he saw Koil sleeping peacefully on one of the beds, with Mira near him. A walked over and told her

"We're on our way to the Sanctuary now. You'll all be safe there, and the Warlord will work with you all and make sure you get settled in." Mira nodded and said

"Thank you!" Kileath then walked up to A and told him

"I never properly thanked you. I guess I was too worried. Well, thank you! The Sanctuary has my loyalty." A nodded tiredly, then said

"You should take credit where it is due. You rebelled against your father when it would likely have earned you a title as a traitor to your clan's rule. However, I wasn't too supportive of your move to execute your own father. Remember what I said before? Two wrongs don't make a right."

"I understand. Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to speak to my sister-in-law." A nodded and walked over a good distance, sitting on a bed tiredly. He was waiting for a doctor, but he was so tired… he needed to rest his head and eyes, just for a minute…

Now he was plagued with visions of Alpha, and as he had promised, he was showing him just how much an innocent girl could shed blood. The victim; Green. A scrambled to slit the bastard's throat, but every time he approached, Alpha would phase out and add another cut to Green's body. A gave up on Alpha and tried to reach Green, but no matter how hard he ran, he couldn't get any closer…

After a few minutes, A was woken up by the on board doctor.

"Mr. Ryuto? Wake up! You are having a nightmare." A shot up with a strangled shout, loud and primal. He heaved for air. Once again, the full details of the nightmare eluded him; all he knew was that Green was hurt, bleeding to death somewhere. The doctor calmed him down and asked him

"Is everything alright?" A pulled his knees up and buried his head between them, placing his hands on the back of his head.

"I don't know… I really don't know. I came here because for the past week I have been waking up more tired than when I first fell asleep. People have been telling me that I've been having nightmares, but I don't believe it because if I am, I don't remember the details of the nightmare, which is highly irregular. I remember ALL of my nightmares."

"Unconscious anxiety attacks most likely. Do you need some medication?" A scowled and said

"Doctors tried to prescribe medication to me before, but I only got the benefit of the side effects, which ironically made me sleep more, giving me MORE nightmares. What I want is a way to completely get rid of nightmares. I've suffered them for nigh on ninety years, and I'm sick and tired of them by now."

"Have you ever tried to speak with Dr. Shane of the Sanctuary? He's not only a doctor, but he's also a psychiatrist."

"I didn't know that. Good to know, since he runs the hospital of my den. I'll get right on that, but first…"

"_First I have to make sure Green's alright."_ Screech then said

"You left your communicator on to the bridge. I'll hurry to the Sanctuary on the double. Hang on!" He then put the engines to full speed and before A knew it, they had arrived at the Sanctuary and were preparing to land. A wobbled to the exit, thinking

"_Arceus… what's going on with me? This hasn't happened before. I always knew when I had a nightmare. Didn't necessarily make it much better, but at least I knew what was going on. But this… it's just way out of the norm." _As the Mercury made it inside of the hangar, the doors opened and A quickly darted away. He ran through the city, often banging up on the side of a building that appeared out of nowhere. Many who saw him would have sworn the idiot was drunk. At last he found the elevator, and he stepped in, about to hit the button for the twenty-second den, but a sleep attack smacked him upside the head, and he fell against the panel, sliding down and pushing all the buttons. Soon he jumped up from his sleep by the smell of something strong. He looked and saw Allen with smelling salts in his hands. Allen patted him on the shoulder and said

"You have to find a way to get some real sleep, man. I heard your little tumble through the communicator, so I came here to get you." A groaned and shakily stood, and he wobbled before saying

"I'll admit it this time; something's wrong with me. I need to get to my den and see my doctor. I can't explain any of this."

"And Green?"

"Yes. But I can't tell her what's going on with me since I don't even know myself. And I don't want to cause her any more worry than I already do."

"Well, this time when you were asleep, you whispered something about making sure that she was safe." A paused for a moment, then said

"Hmm. Well, I WOULD feel better if I knew that she was, but she might get suspicious about my curiosity. Can you check for me?"

"Sure! Stay safe." A nodded and got of once they arrived to his den. Allen walked off to his mansion, and A dashed in a round-about route to the hospital, once again playing a crash test dummy. Eventually he stumbled into the hospital, and he veritably dragged himself to the counter, panting

"I… need to… see… Dr. Shane…" Then he passed out, tortured by the images of the shadow pokemon he had dealt with, remembering in detail the attacks from each, especially those he had kept. A woke up with the smell of smelling salts in his nostrils again. He shot up and saw Dr. Shane sitting across from him. Dr. Shane sighed and said

"Usually patients are brought to me. They don't stumble through the doors and pass out." A rubbed his nose to rid himself of the odor of the salts, then explained

"I've been sleeping badly lately. Multiple sources claim I'm suffering from nightmares, but that seemed unlikely to me since I couldn't remember them. Ever since they started around ninety years ago, I've remembered every nightmare I've ever had, with unfortunate excruciating detail. Throughout the week, whenever I fell asleep, I wound up waking more tired than before. I think I'm losing my mind."

"Do you have any idea what could be causing them?"

"None. They all started after I beat Cipher and worked furiously to purify the shadow pokemon under my care, and they only increased during my travels, since I came close to losing my life on multiples of occasions. Doctors everywhere kept telling me I was some sort of miracle, because if the life-thwarting attempts didn't get me, surely the stress would. But I died of old age. Admittedly, though, I was almost fully gray-haired by thirty-five."

"That may be the cause. Your exposure to the Shadow Pokemon." A paused, then said

"Well, whether or not that is the cause, it can't be helped. I'm the only one who knows how to effectively and quickly purify them. And I won't let anyone besides my own pokemon have contact with them, and even then limited."

"I never told you to let others do your work. I just said that that may be the cause of your nightmares. Also, did something happen with something or someone called Alpha? You mumbled something about it in your sleep." A stiffened for a moment, then replied

"Yeah, just a… distant memory."

"Want to talk about it?" A hesitated, then said

"I just want a way to stop the nightmares so I can carry on with my life. If I could get just one night of real, actual sleep, like I experienced before I was five, I would be rejuvenated to a degree you might not imagine."

"You're in a relationship, correct?" A felt tiredly wary and responded

"Yeah… what's that got to do with anything?"

"Well it's just a suggestion, you don't have to do it if you don't want to, but have you thought about sleeping in the same room as your girlfriend?" A felt a rush of energy, and he rose with a deadly glare.

"Don't force me to make you use your healing skills on yourself. That is a despicable thought, one I will not sanction." Dr. Shane didn't flinch and said

"I said that you don't have to do it if you don't want to. Also, you don't have to sleep with her."

"If we're sleeping in the same room, regardless of whether or not we're engaging in sexual activity, I consider that sleeping with her. And I don't care about that sexual activity part; I already know I'm not going to desecrate her honor that way. But sentient beings, human or pokemon, have a bad tendency to twist things out of proportion. That's exactly what would happen if I did this. All it takes is one slipped up word, and a whole rumor is out that ruins her reputation."

"Do you have any better ideas? No sexual contact has to happen nor do you need to sleep in the same bed."

"Isn't there a way to psychically remove the portion that creates nightmares or something? Or block it?"

"Well that's actually up to you. I can't remove the portions that creates the nightmares. You could have a Pokemon of yours eat your dreams, but that's risky." A shivered and said

"I've tried that. It didn't work out very well. It actually seemed to increase the intensity of the nightmares. I avoided doing that again, but ever since my Sinnoh reign, Darkrai has found an unfortunate surfeit of sustenance with me. Canalave City was a real bitch."

"Look, I don't expect you to take my suggestion, but at least consider it. Now, I'll put you on a medication that stops you from dreaming. It's unfortunate, but you seem to need them."

"I don't think so. Medication only makes things worse for me, in my experience." Dr. Shane sighed

"So what do you want me to do? Apparently, all my help is no good." A clenched his fist and said

"I don't know! I just want some peace and quiet in my mind after ninety years. Everything that's happened is being dredged up, I'm sure. It's not only emotionally draining, but physically, too. I just want a cure. Is it too much to ask for a respite?"

"Michael, at least try the medication and hope that it works for you." A sighed, then conceded and said

"Fine. I'll give it a week. If there's any improvement, I'll stick with it. If nothing happens or my condition worsens, I'm dropping it cold turkey."

"Understandable." Dr. Shane then got up and walked up to a medicine cabinet and pulled out a container of pills.

"Take one every night before you fall asleep. It should eliminate the ability to dream for ten hours." A stared at the brightly colored pills, then clenched them and said

"Alright. Thanks." Dr. Shane nodded.

"No problem. Don't hesitate to come back if you need more help. I'll make sure to find you the help you need." A left with a nod, and he hid the medicine in his coat, intending to keep this a secret until he knew the full effects. Too tired to begin the purifying processes today, he simply dropped the pokemon he had taken in the chamber, then went inside to relax.

After dinner, A snuck a glass into his room, intending to get some well-deserved rest, actual rest, without the plague of the nightmares. He reluctantly took the pill, and felt the grogginess of the last few days catching up to him. He set the medicine carefully out of sight, then went straight to bed. This time, he only experienced a black abyss in his mind's eyes, but compared to ninety years of constant nightmares, it was pure bliss. However, this would prove to be the thing that would bring about his near undoing.

**Okay, that was longer than I anticipated, but there's still more to come! This will likely be a three-part series chapter, and the continuation will be posted tomorrow.**


	51. Ch 51: The Series of Nightmares, Part 2

**Here's the second part I promised you guys! I've decided to name this my Nightmare Trilogy, and it will take into account my pioneered shipping. For those of you who have forgotten (just cause I wanna say it) it pairs Michael of Orre and Green of Kanto, and I call it ShadowLeafShipping. This one will be pretty tense, so hang on to your chairs!**

A Downhill Turn

The next morning, A woke up, feeling far more rested than he had in many years, and he greatly enjoyed the feeling. He stretched, a rare smile gracing his face. The muscles felt extremely stiff, but compared to his good mood, it didn't even matter anymore! He hopped out and quickly went to the kitchen, grabbing a quick breakfast. Green walked in just as he was finishing, and he greeted her.

"Morning, Green!" She looked at him in confusion and remarked

"You're strangely cheery this morning." He grinned and placed his dishes in the sink, replying

"A good night's sleep'll do that to ya." A made a b-line to start the Purification Process on the Shadow Pokemon. However, as soon as he reached the chamber he got a call from Xeron. He said to A

"A, you there buddy?"

"Xeron? Yeah, I'm here, and rarin' to start my day! I've got a whole mess of shadow pokemon to add to my list, but with the sleep I'm finally going to get, I can take on a good number and hopefully have them all done within the month!"

"Well Rick and Alara want you and Green to come over. He has a surprise for the entire team." Normally A would have been irritated at the mention of a break in his agenda without prior notice, but with the good night's sleep under his belt, he accepted it without complaint.

"Okay! We'll be there in a minute or two."

"Good! I'm sure you two will love it." A hung up and went back, telling Green

"Change of plans! Apparently Rick has requested a meeting of some kind for us and the rest of the team. So we'd better head over there now." Green paused, then asked

"Michael, are you alright? You're acting weird. What about the shadow pokemon?" A shrugged and said

"There's still tomorrow. It's not exactly like they're goin' anywhere." Green was shocked by his sudden transformation, but he gave her no time to contemplate it. He transformed and teleported them to Rick's house. A and Green arrived at the Fenrir Manor and were quickly let it. Once they were inside, they saw Rick and Alara sitting together and smiling wide as A and Green walked in. Rick said in a jolly tone

"Come in! Come in! Sit! Sit!" A did so, with Green still watching him suspiciously.

"So, where's the rest of the gang?"

"They should be arriving right..." The whole team suddenly appeared in the room.

"Now." A grinned at everyone, wanting to share in his good mood. He hoped that medication would really pull through for him every night, and if it did he would be able to face the world and all its problems. Even the prospect of watching over the five regions didn't seem so daunting when he felt so rested.

"So, what's up? Why the meeting all of a sudden?" Rick and Alara looked at one another and then at the group. Rick took a deep breath and said

"Well let's say that soon the Fenrir family will grow by one." The whole team looked at each other and then their eyes flew open as they looked at Rick and Alara. Alara giggled and said

"That's right!" Rick followed by saying

"Alara's pregnant." A felt stunned for a moment, then he grinned widely and replied as Green squealed.

"Well, congratulations! Looks like you two are really on your way to becoming a full-blown family." He settled for a moment, then chuckled, saying

"There's just good news all around today, isn't there?" Rick held Alara close and asked A

"What other good news is there?"

"Well, let me ask you this; if you had suffered from consistent, horrid nightmares for ninety years in a row, wouldn't you give anything and everything for just one good night's rest?" Green studied him intensely, beginning to get the picture now. Rick sat back as he realized what was going on.

"Oh..." he chuckled, "Congratulations to you too! I see that we both got something that we wanted. You have no nightmares and I get to have a child in a few months." A nodded and said

"My sleep is rather bland with just a blank abyss, but when I compare it to the horrors I used to experience since I turned five, it's really paradise!" Green was too shocked to speak for the moment.

"Better no dreams than horrid nightmares." Rick's smiled grew wider as he held Alara a bit tighter, but trying to be careful of the baby in her belly.

"I just have good dreams for the moment." Green interrupted

"Hold on a sec!" She looked at A and demanded

"What do you mean since you were five?" A's mood dampened slightly, and he said

"Watching your own father murdered in front of you tends to start a reel of nightmares." Rick followed by saying

"I can vouch for that. I saw both my parents die and I had bad nightmares."

"And they only increased after my first shot against Cipher. Coming close to losing your life, suffering shadow attacks consecutively, being ambushed consistently… it all has a damaging effect to a ten year-olds psyche." Green was beyond astonished, not realizing the full impact of what he had endured, and she imagined it was much like this throughout his entire life. Rick nodded

"Well right now is no time to think of such dark thoughts. We actually have some cause to celebrate today." A got over the dark thoughts, actually able to push them back, and said

"The celebration of new life, something to celebrate indeed."

"I guess I should get ready to build a nursery." Alara then shook her head.

"That can wait. We don't even know if the baby's a boy or a girl. That can take months to find out. So hold off on it." A tilted his head, confused, and asked

"Don't you want a room prepared ahead of time? You know, build as you go?" Alara nodded

"True, that would be great, but I want to know what gender by baby is first before I start building the room."

"Well by that time, you'll be pretty far in, won't you? It would be a bad idea for you to work too much."

"True, but I still have my powers." A shrugged and said

"Alright, whatever. I can't tell you how to live or what to do. You're all big boys and girls now." He mused for a moment, then smirked and said

"Though to me, it feels like you're all children. It's weird."

"You're over a hundred years old. I believe that it should be." Rick then said

"I'm just happy that Ally won't be able to pull any stunts like she used to anymore." A grinned and replied

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, Rick." Rick scoffed

"Tell me, what can she do when she's pregnant? Obviously, she can't charge onto the battlefield anymore." A grinned and told him

"Son, let me give you some advice; never underestimate the power of a pregnant female. She may not be able to go into direct battle, but she may well bring the battle to you. I've dealt with so many pregnant pokemon, it's almost an entire comedy show. And believe me, you want to avoid pissing them off when they have powers and little inhibition." Alara giggled

"Oh I doubt I'll be that dangerous. I'm a strong willed woman."

"Oh, that's worse. Once the hormones kick in, you'll be determined to get what you want, when you want it, how you want it." He chuckled for a moment, then told Rick

"You're in for the ride of your life. Better hang on tight." Rick laughed and said

"I doubt that it'll be that bad. It's just a pregnancy. My mom was...somewhat tame when she was pregnant with my sister." A shrugged and said

"Alright, but don't come crying to me if she throws you through a wall."

"She's done that to me already and she wasn't even pregnant at the time."

"Yeah, except you can probably expect it at an average of three to five times in a week, if not a day." Rick chuckled and replied

"A, I made Ally a promise when we got married. I had to deal with all the crap she can throw at me. So that's what I intend to do."

"Even if that crap is _you_? Because chances are, later on, she'll go into pregnant rages and blame you for, and I have seen this, 'getting her fat'. Believe me, it happens all the time."

"A, I have no choice but to deal with it."

"Oh yeah, I know. But that's not going to stop me from wishing you the best of luck."

"Thanks!" Rick looked at Green and asked

"Green, you've been quiet ever since A spoke about his nightmares. Are you alright?" Green jolted out of her reverie and responded

"Yeah, fine! Just thinking, that's all!"

"Anything you want to share?" Green sweatdropped nervously and said

"No, that's alright. It doesn't matter much anyway." Rick didn't seem convinced, but he decided to not interrogate her.

"Alright. So, A, anything I should know about a female's pregnancy? You did have a number of pregnant Pokemon, did you not?" He nodded and said

"Indeed I did! Now then, before I continue, I've got to ask some questions; Alara, are you planning to take the natural route, or the hibernative route?" Alara arched an eyebrow and asked

"Excuse me?"

"Okay, allow me to explain; the natural route means that you bear and give birth to a live child. The hibernative route means that your undeveloped fetus becomes encased in a shell, which you will then expel from your body. All pokemon have the hibernative option, though some don't necessarily have the natural route, such as reptilian pokemon and certain Amorphous groups. Luckily, those in the Ralts family line can choose either."

"I'd rather go down the natural route."

"Okay, then you need to ensure you get a large amount of nutrients for your growing child. It's monumentally important that you get the right amounts, or else he or she won't develop their psychic powers at the correct rate, or even at all." Alara nodded and asked

"So what do I get?"

"More of your usual; Protein, Calcium, Iron, but most important of all, make sure you get plenty of Zinc in your diet, along with Potassium. Both are key characteristics in the development of Psychic powers. It's even been said, though not entirely proven, that humans who consume larger amounts of Zinc and Potassium begin to display Psychic abilities. Though it hasn't been fully proven or discarded, there is evidence to suggest it is possible."

"Alright, and this has to be done during the pregnancy?"

"Yes. Throughout your entire pregnancy, it is recommended that you get a double intake of what you usually get, because you'll be supporting two now. But that's only for the natural route. If you were going hibernative, which can still be decided up until the first trimester ends, you would need to get triple your intake of everything but Calcium, which you would need to quadruple."

"Hmm...I don't like to eat a lot."

"You don't have to. You can stagger your meals to small amounts, frequently throughout the day. And some foods are better in these sources, and many of them at once, than others. I would highly suggest you stay away from fast foods, though. Not only are they bad for you personally, or your child internally, but all the greasy fats, acids, and preservatives have been known to inhibit early psychic development."

"I'm not worried too much about fast foods. Me and Rick do not eat them very much to almost never at all." A nodded and replied

"Good. But it's important to get all the nutrients I mentioned before. For now, you don't need to take in so much because your child is in its earliest development stages. After about a month, however, if haven't already picked up the nutritional demands, then it's time to step up. But you know, I'm surprised you didn't ask me why you'd be required to intake so much if you took the hibernative route. Every mother I dealt with before was absolutely shocked, though admittedly it does vary between the mother's type, the child's likely outcome, and the demands that follow."

"I've read a lot of maternity books, Mr. Ryuto. I've tried to not leave myself clueless in the event of which I become pregnant. Now I am and now I have to put everything I learned into practice. I even made Rick change everything we have in the fridge to something more appealing for an expecting mother. Needless to say, he was confused on why I wanted to do that. However, that was two days ago and I didn't tell him about my pregnancy." A smirked and said

"I see. Then explain to me the intricacies of the hibernative route, the purposes of it, and the pros and cons to it."

"I did not bother to learn much of anything about, what we call, the Egg Bearing option. I chose the Live Birth option. So I decided to not read the parts that had to do with eggs."

"That's a foolish move on your part. You might find that sometime within your first trimester things are too risky to keep a child in the current situation. That's the reason it exists; so the mother may protect her child without inhibition. I can give you all the information, and I insist on it because at some point you may well need the information, and where would you be without it?"

"I'm confident that I can bear a live child. However, if it really is important, then I won't protest." A insisted

"It _is_ important. Now then, research believes that the hibernative route evolved into early pokemon, but it's a bit difficult to say. I don't have an ancient female pokemon, so I really can't test this myself. Anyway, it evolved into pokemon as a way to protect the prospective mother's undeveloped child if ever something threatened it, whether it be a predator, a low supply of the essential nutrients, or some other reason exclusive to the mother/parents of the child."

"Alright. What kind of dangers are present for me? Also, how long does it take to lay an egg?"

"The dangers you face aren't necessarily primal anymore, but there _are_ still dangers that are present. For one, your life is at stake from this simple fact; you're pregnant. Some females aren't developed enough to risk birth, regardless of whether or not they are fertile. I believe this isn't as much a risk for you, but you should still keep an eye on yourself. Another threat, and I hate to say it this way, is your husband." Rick almost growled

"How am I a danger to my wife and my unborn child?"

"Because you still contain Alpha. Now, I'm not saying you should distance yourself, yet. But if Alpha becomes more of a threat, then the safest alternative is to remove yourself from the immediate area so you do not risk harming them, especially during the first trimester." Rick sank in his chair, his cheerful smile gone at this point.

"It won't happen." A sighed and told him

"I hope not. Sorry to have ruined this for you, but you might need this information at some point. I always say it's better to be safe than sorry, and to hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. If it should come to pass, you'll both be better off knowing what to expect, right?" Rick nodded,

"Yes...excuse me!" He then stood and stormed out of the house. A shook his head and said

"Damn. I should have figured… Alara, I'm sorry about this, but I can't feel secure myself until you at least realize that no matter how you think, there is still the chance of danger." Alara sighed and said

"I understand. I just hope Rick won't come back in a sour mood. He cried when I told him I was pregnant and was cheerful ever since. I know he know that you're right, but he doesn't want to think about it." A growled at himself, then said

"Then maybe I should just go. I can already tell you're not interested in my advice, and if you're not interested then chances are you're not paying attention." After a moment he sank back and cursed.

"Dammit. Now I've gone and ruined my own good mood."

"Who said that? I am interested for your advice. Rick will be back and I'm sure he'll put it behind him." A scowled, then stood and said dully

"Forget it. I'm just a senile old fool who can't keep his damn mouth shut. If you'll excuse me, I've got work to do." He transformed and teleported back to his den, whatever good left in him gone as he contemplated the task before him.

That day was spent working with the shadow pokemon, and he began work on ten of them, working one at a time. He alternated between himself and a select few of his pokemon, but he never gave himself more than a couple minute's worth of breaks. As such, he had been struck many times with shadow attacks, subjecting himself to even worse torments without knowing.

That night, after he took the medicine, he once again succumbed to a vast abyss of no dreams, but something was slightly off tonight; the base was somewhat wavy in appearance, and a constant but light sense of dread accompanied the rest.

A woke up the next morning, not quite as laid back as yesterday, but still mostly rejuvenated. He ate quickly and went back outside to attend to the shadow pokemon. He picked up the Snag Balls he attended to yesterday, and just as he was grabbing the last one, he heard Green behind him say

"Getting a bit obsessive, aren't ya?" He sighed and turned to face her, and she continued

"You left on a very bad note yesterday. You know that, right?" A's face tightened and he said

"What do you expect out of me? An apology? Because that won't happen. Whether we like it or not, we always seek the truth. But most often the truth isn't something we want to hear. Regardless of whether he likes it or not, Rick is a threat to himself, Alara, his unborn child, and every last life on this planet. And it's my job to make sure he doesn't become that threat. But since that's not likely to happen yet, I have other priorities. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

He stepped past her and opened up the first Snag Ball, letting out a Shadow Luxray, which he settled into battle with. As he was in the chamber, Alara teleported to their den and knocked at the mansion's front door. Green answered it and asked

"Alara? What's going on?" Alara replied

"Nothing. I just thought that I might come to visit." Green sighed slightly in relief, then replied

"Oh, okay. Come in then." She led her into the living room, then asked

"What do you want to eat? Or drink?" Alara smiled and sat down

"Oh no, I'm alright. No need to get me anything."

"Alright, if you're sure." Green sat on the other side of the table, then asked

"So, is this just recreational, or do you have another purpose as well?"

"It's recreational. I just need to get out of the house for a bit. It's a bit boring without Rick and Harmony being home and my in-laws are always with my parents." Green nodded, then hesitated before saying

"Listen, I want to apologize for Michael's behavior yesterday. I don't know what's been going on with him. Before this whole business started, he was normal, or at least as normal as he can be. Then I understand that he was suffering from nightmares throughout the week that were draining him. He makes a full-on 180 after two nights ago, and now he's falling back under his typically sullen disposition. I just can't make sense of it." Alara waved her off and told her

"It's alright, Green. All is forgiven. From my part and Rick's part. However, it did cause Rick to start thinking."

"About how much he wants to kill Michael?"

"Whoa! No! He just started thinking of himself as a threat to our family." Green facepalmed, then said

"I didn't mean it like that! Calm down. That was just a figurative sense of speaking. Anyway, he shouldn't have done that. I'll have a word with him tonight, though I might not get through to him."

"Don't worry. Rick will calm down eventually."

"Well, I hope he just doesn't hate Michael for this. No one knows it, but he really does mean the best. He just keeps coming off the wrong way."

"I know. Rick has gotten used to it." Green sighed and said

"I just wish there was a way to make this easier on all of us. Some way to ease Michael's burden so he wasn't so tense all of the time."

"I know that there's a way. We're just not seeing it."

"I've tried asking his pokemon if there was something that ever made him feel happier… but the only thing they've said is his family, who is dead, and me, but I'm already here. I don't know what to do." Alara thought for a second and said

"Hmm...I guess we should make do with what we have. Have you tried spending more time with him?"

"Well, I can't right now. He's working with the shadow pokemon, and he insists that I don't come anywhere near them. And since won't be stopping until he's purified them all, there's really no chance for me to spend more time with him, at least until he's done. But I can't tell how long that's going to take."

"Well, do you guys at least go on dates every once and a while?"

"We did for a bit, but that didn't last very long. Since he went on the mission, things have been very tense."

"The mission that he just came back from the other day?"

"Yeah, with the Samurott and all. And it seems to me that everything has gotten worse since the fight at Sanda."

"Well, we have to help him somehow. There has to be a way to get rid of the tension." Green shrugged and asked

"But what? I've combed through many options in my head and discarded just about all of them. Nothing makes sense that wouldn't immediately tip him off, or make one or more of us uncomfortable."

"What options did you have?"

"Well, I figured therapy might do something, but I've tried that before. Did not go well. Moreover, I'm not a licensed therapist, so I couldn't really get away with doing that. Then there might be something like appeasement, where we give him peace of mind by accomplishing a goal he wants. Unfortunately, the only goals he has right now are world peace and purifying the shadow pokemon. World peace, I don't think that's likely to happen, and he won't let anybody but a select few of his pokemon get near the shadow pokemon." Alara seemed frustrated

"There has to be something that works." Green raised her hands helplessly.

"If there was, I might well do it in a heartbeat. But I can't predict everything, and I rather think that even if we succeeded in making him happy, something would come along and try to destroy his happiness."

"Then we have to make that he sees the positive." Green winced and replied

"That's going to be harder than you think. That good mood he was in yesterday? It's dulled down a bit, and I have a sinking feeling it's going to keep that motion. Even if he doesn't suffer from nightmares anymore it may well be that one of them comes to life, Arceus forbid!"

"It's not going to happen. Do you think that you as a person can help him?"

"I'm trying, but I've got nothing to go off of. Little by little, he's been letting me in. And while that's a massive improvement over when I first got here, it's not enough. He's not giving me any information I can use against him. I'm convinced, now more than ever, that the sealed part of his mind you told me about contains the answers that I need. But I can't get to it, he won't let anybody in, and nobody can safely risk it."

"You want me to try? He wouldn't dare harm a Pokemon, much less a pregnant one." Green shook her head and replied

"No. Regardless of whether or not he wouldn't harm you, you would completely and utterly lose all his trust, and believe me, that is NOT something you want to do."

"Fine. So we're back at square one."

"Were we've always really been with Michael. I doubt he even let his family in after he first dealt with Cipher. Hell, even before then! He was always trying to act tough about his father's murder in front of his mom and sister. Especially his sister. He really cared for her." Alara sighed and sat back, rubbing her belly

"Man, I sure wish I knew what to do." Green sighed and flopped over the couch and replied

"You ain't the only one. But he's such an enigma."

"Who's such an enigma?" Green jumped up and shouted

"EEK! Michael, don't sneak up on me like that!" He grinned wanly and said weakly

"Sorry. Just came for a drink." He wobbled toward the kitchen, bumping into the frame as if he hadn't seen it. Alara noticed and asked

"Is he okay?" Green swore explosively and said

"It's the shadow attacks! He's taken too many hits now, and he's not steady on his feet! Shadow attacks don't hit you physically, they hit you emotionally! They most often drain you of energy and sometimes your will to live. And I don't know how many of them he's taken."

"Are you trying to get his attention?"

"It doesn't matter at this point. He's probably too disoriented to make sense of much more right now." Just then he walked through the hall, passing the doorway, and Green was bordering on panic when she saw the glazed, depraved look in his eyes.

"Arceus… he's practically a zombie…" she whispered. Alara then stood and blocked A's path to the door

"Sorry A, but we need to talk." A didn't respond, simply staring past her. He edged around her, even ducking under her arm, as if she were no more than a bar that had fallen into his path. Alara caught him with Psychic and forced him onto the couch, shouting

"Don't ignore me!" A's eyes didn't lose the glaze, and Green took his face into her hands, staring deeply. She tried to slap him, but his only response was to blink. Green began to panic

"Oh no, don't tell me he's unreachable now. What are we going to do?!" Alara stepped forward and dove into A's mind, reaching him and pulling him back.

"Welcome back, zombie!" A groaned as the abuse of his body assaulted him, and he moaned "I need a vacation already…" Green launched herself onto him, taking him by surprise.

"Uh, Green? What's wrong?"

"You! You're pushing yourself too hard, and you're only hurting yourself right now!" A chuckled nonchalantly and pushed her gently back, saying

"Green, I'm not hurting myself, okay? I-"

"Quit fucking lying to me, Michael! That's all you've ever done, is push people away! We're trying to help you, not hurt you! Why can't you see that?" Alara grabbed Green's shoulders and pulled her off of him

"Calm down. Keeping him pinned won't solve anything." Green pulled herself out of her grasp but didn't move to assault him again. However, angry tears still sparkled in her eyes. A sighed and rose, saying

"Sorry, but my secrets remain my own. Green, you've gotten closer to me than anyone ever has. There are things I've told you I've never told my mother or sister, to protect them. And because I don't want to hurt you further, I don't want to give away too much." Alara then said

"Green, just take that. That's as best as you'll get from A." Green threw herself in front of A, saying

"No, I can't let you keep doing this! You're going to kill yourself, from stress if nothing else! You should stop for the day, at least." A eyed her sardonically, then said

"Those pokemon are suffering easily five times what I am. If I have to suffer with them to show them that I'm trying to help, then so be it. Don't stop me from doing my job." He transformed and teleported, and Green sank to her knees, pounding the floor in frustration.

"Dammit… nothing, absolutely nothing, will make him see reason." Alara knelt next to her

"Green, calm down!" Green looked back up and demanded

"How can I calm down? He's killing himself and doesn't know it, or refuses to acknowledge it. How am I supposed to turn him around when he doesn't acknowledge he has a serious problem?" Alara thought for a moment, then said

"I'll be right back." Alara then teleported to the door of the chamber where A was dealing with the shadow pokemon. She banged on it and yelled

"A! Get out here this instant! I need to have a word with you!" A heard and cursed, then shouted as he fought off a Shadow Tyranitar

"Alara, get the hell out of here! It's too dangerous, especially for someone in your condition!"

"I'm outside, so I doubt I'm in immediate danger. A cursed in several lines, then ducked and rolled, scooping up the pokemon's snag ball and returning it, panting heavily. Then he walked outside, securing the door behind him and none too pleased about it. He turned around and didn't address Alara too kindly as he asked

"What is it? I've been set back enough already, and I'm quickly losing my patience." Alara almost slapped him, but controlled herself

"How could you do that to Green? I thought you were her boyfriend of all things." A's face contorted with anger, and he turned and bashed his face against the metal of the chamber.

"Arceus… fucking… dammit!" Then he whirled around, saying

"I can't be everything at once, Alara! I'm trying to handle too many things at once, and I know I'm hurting Green! I don't want to, but I need to keep her safe, and she can't have any sort of contact with the shadow pokemon, and while they're around, that's too big a possibility! Once I take care of them, Green will have all of my love and attention, that I promise. But until the shadow pokemon are taken care of, I can't let myself become distracted."

"You don't get it! There are going to be more shadow pokemon. It will take months or years to get them all purified. So what then? Are you just going to keep setting her to the side?" A growled intensely, and he approached with a furious face, practically in hers as he demanded

"You think I like living like this? Do you think, even for a moment, that I enjoy this sort of lifestyle? Because I hate it. I hate it with ever fucking ounce of my being, every single iota of me despises the way my life has turned. Green is the one good thing to have happened in my life that didn't come with strings attached, and I will be chopped up, roasted, dipped in boiling oil, and damned a million times over before I let anything stop that." Alara growled and said

"So learn to manage your time. She's important too."

"Once I have all the shadow pokemon out of the way, I swear that she will get all of my time. But until I do, I can't even relax because she's constantly in danger, as is everyone here. And if you all would just let me get my damn job done, we wouldn't be having this problem!" Rick suddenly appeared in the den and said

"You better have a good reason to be speaking to my wife like that." A growled and shouted

"Will everybody just stop interrupting me already?! I've got enough on my plate without having to deal with so many people working against me! I still have many dozens of pokemon to attend to, so I bid you all a good… day!" He stormed back into the chamber and slammed the door shut, locking it tightly. He still fumed over this, because he really _did_ want to spend all his time with Green. But he couldn't ignore the fact that these poor victims, and Arceus himself, were counting on him to bring them out of their shadowy existence, full of nothing but hatred and hurt. He sank to the steel floor and mumbled

"That sounds like me. I know where they are coming from, and I want to help… but it's too hard to do this alone…" Feeling overwhelmed, he simply sat and rocked in the fetal position, unable to muster the will anymore to fight. Rick growled and was about to blast the door open, but was stopped by Alara.

"Don't do it. Leave him alone. He doesn't want people to help him with his demons, so no need to worry about him." Rick glared at the door and turned around

"If he ever speaks to you like that again, he and I are going to have problems."

"I understand, just let it go. Also, why are you here?"

"I sensed some distress from you, so I came to make sure that you were alright. Should have known that it would of been A."

"Just stop. Go back to work. I'll deal with A."

"How will you do that?" Green then came outside and Rick said

"Green? Looks like I overstayed my welcome." Green looked down, still saddened by what all was happening, and she asked Alara

"Did he go back in? Is he fighting them again?" Back inside, despite the steel, A could hear them just fine. The tears poured as he heard the ache in his girlfriend's voice, and he wanted nothing more than to throw himself at her feet, apologize, and beg her to forgive him. But he couldn't uproot himself.

"Green… I'm sorry…" Rick nodded and replied irritated

"Yep. Whatever he does now is going to have to be a solo effort. I've just about had it with him so far. Few people have tested my patience like he has in only two days. If he doesn't need our help then we shouldn't give it to him." Alara slapped his arm."

"Rick, enough! Calm down!" A rocked harder. He wanted help, but he could not, in good conscience, ask anyone else to risk their sanity the way he did on a regular basis. He cared about them all too much, even the ones that regularly tested him. It was too much to ask, so he could enjoy a little more happiness. Better, he thought, to sacrifice himself so that they may all enjoy themselves. He buried his face into his knees to mask the sobs. Rick scoffed and took steps away from Alara.

"Look, I'm this close to just asking Arceus to take him back, but I'm not that cruel. If I tell Arceus that I've had enough of him, then I pretty much put him in jeopardy. However, I need him to at least open up. Mainly because I can't accept secrets being kept from me. I need to trust everyone on my team. So if A can't even trust me, how I going to trust him?" Alara screamed

"Rick! Stop!" Rose appeared then, and she looked nothing short of livid. She stepped up to Rick and said

"You don't know anything about him! You have no idea what he's been through, all to save this world you all take for granted! And he's never asked anything in return! How can you say this about him?! I'm sick and tired of him being the one that looks bad, because without him this world would be nothing but crumbling ruins!" A heard Rose outside, and he forced himself to stand. He needed to stop her before things got out of hand, and he had a bad feeling that was too close for comfort. Rick was beyond enraged now and glared at her as his aura drew out.

"Watch who you are talking to! As far as I'm concerned, it's always been about him. How he saved the entire world, how he is the savior of all existence, how he should be practically worshiped as a god! Let me tell you something, I bow to no man or creature but Arceus. I've been through trials too, but do I ask for the fact to be shoved everyone's throats? No. I keep quiet about it. I know he suffered and I respect him for that because I can relate. Don't give me the pity speech." The Chaos Scarf then came to life and hissed at Rose.

"Right now, I'm not in the mood to be fucked with. I'm stressed out as it is. I'm trying to end a war and save all of Pokemon life, but I have to bend all my ideas to A or Alpha as you call him. You don't know what the hell Alpha is! You don't know what hell really is. You want to see what hell looks like?" He quickly went into Alpha state and horns and bat wings appeared on him.

"Try to live with this in your body for most of your life, it eating away at you so much that you become a threat to your own family. Never knowing when you will lose your will and your body. Knowing that at a moment's notice I can destroy the world and there's not a damn thing your precious Michael can do about it!" Alara pulled him by his arm and yelled

"Please stop! Rick, your anger is rising too high!" Rick then said

"I am not about to sympathize with you, nor do I want to threaten you since I have no quarrel with you. But never question me or scold me!" He suddenly grew faint and he passed out on the ground. A slammed the door open, and he spotted the very end of the exchange, and Rose was rooted to the spot in fear. She glanced up at A, who glared at her and said

"How many times have I told you not to bring that stuff up? It didn't work on the teams, it didn't work on the Legends, and it certainly won't work on him." Rose tried to apologize, but A held up his hand and stopped her.

"I don't want to hear it, Rose. Just stop bringing that up every time I get like this. You're not doing favors for anyone." After a moment, he looked at Rick and said

"This is too much now." He then looked at Alara and told her

"Take him home. When he wakes up, tell him that I'll tell him everything, if he's willing to listen. You and Green be there, too, and you will finally understand why I'm like this. You will learn why I insist on my solitary lifestyle. You will know… why I am the way I am." Alara nodded and teleported Rick home.

**The finale will come tomorrow, so be prepared for it.**


	52. Ch 52: The Series of Nightmares, Part 3

**Okay, this is the last part in the Nightmare Trilogy, as I'm calling it. This will be particularly interesting, though I won't say where or why. You'll have to find out for yourselves.**

The Waking Nightmare

After three hours, Rick woke up in his living room with a pain in his chest. He sat up and looked around to see a very much relieved Alara. He asked her

"Ally? What happened?"

"You passed out when your heart literally skipped a few beats. That happened because you were extremely angry. I warned you."

"I guess I should apologize to you. I was being stupid."

"I don't need your apology. Say it to A, Green and Rose." She then pointed at A and Green, who were also in the living room. Rick's eyes shot open and he almost glared at A

"How the hell!?" He then gripped his chest in pain.

"Don't get angry. Your heart hasn't fully recovered yet." A sighed and said

"Look Rick, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you can't trust me. But to tell you the truth, I've lost trust in just about everyone and everything that lives. It came to the point that I couldn't even trust my own family. So how could you expect me to trust a stranger to me? However, I've caused enough trouble where it wasn't necessary. This will cost me every last bit of sanity I have left, if even I do, but if you can set aside your anger long enough, I will answer any question you have."

"If it will eat at your sanity then I'd rather not hear it. I've been around too much insanity for one day. Damn this heart!" A snorted and said

"I doubt I have any left, anyway. But I'm sick of this. You hate me, Green's angry with me, nobody can trust me, and I can't trust them back. And don't bother denying it; I heard everything you said. Believe me, I don't look for pity. I hate it. But Rose has the notion to defend me because she thinks I need someone to come to my defense." Rick growled as he looked at A.

"I don't hate you, but nor am I happy with you at the moment. We're supposed to be a team and up until now I have hidden nothing from you. I trusted you enough that I let my baby cousin stay over at your home without me being nearby. Hell, I've been trying to help you this entire time." Rick gripped his chest again and Alara forced him to lay down

"Don't get angry. Last thing I want is for you to die before out baby is born." With that in his mind, Rick worked to calm himself. A winced and said

"I know. Again, I'm sorry. I'll understand if you want Arceus to take me back. It's probably for the best, anyway. Once I finish with the shadow pokemon, I'll make the request myself. I shouldn't have expected any less, though; everywhere I go, trouble seems to follow me. Whether or not the trouble was already here, I'm sure I didn't help any." His face grew ever more downcast.

"I can't trust anybody, nor can I be trusted. I accuse Arceus of withholding information that is pertinent for me, but I do that myself. But it's time I came clean. Go ahead, ask any questions you want, and regardless of whether or not I like the truth, you will hear it. This goes for all of you." Rick thought about it for a moment and said

"And if I refuse to ask anything?" A felt great pain, and he tried to hide it, but Green caught the flicker of it in his eye, and he figured Rick and Alara could sense it.

"Well, I guess I brought it to myself. Fine. I'll just take care of the shadow pokemon, and I'll leave. You won't hear from me again." He stood listlessly, then transformed and teleported. Green was too shocked to say anything. Rick sighed and extended his hand, recalling A

"Look, if it'll make you feel any better than go ahead and speak. I'm listening." A sighed and said

"Look, I have good reason why I seem like I'm a paranoid freak. Most simply, Cipher stripped my humanity from me." Green blinked and asked

"What the hell are you talking about?" A winced and told her

"It was a result of suffering an endless amount of shadow attacks relentlessly, when Cipher was defeated but refused to acknowledge it. They gathered the remainder of their forces on Citadark Isle, and when no one else could retrieve them I was sent to take them down once and for all. But they all attacked me at once, sending every one of their shadow pokemon to tear away at me. I nearly died from it, and I wish I had. Every sense was ripped away from me, until the only things left were hatred, anger, and a desire to kill and hurt. I became a Shadow Human." Rick then asked

"And how did you revert back?"

"Well, it didn't happen at once, and it wasn't really in Orre either. I was sent to the hospital in a light coma, so much so that I was sent back home that night. I soon came out of it, but my only impulse was to maim and kill. And my first target…" Sobs wracked his body, and Green drew him closer, hugging him tightly.

"My first target was my own little sister!" Rick was shocked.

"What happened?"

"I couldn't feel compassion, I couldn't feel sadness, happiness, not even pain. I know this for reasons I'll explain later. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to kill, and because I had lost trust in everything prior, even myself, everything was suspect. The only reason I didn't kill myself at the time was because self-preservation stopped me. But Jovi… innocent little Jovi… she was only checking up on me, but I was a wild animal!" He cried almost hysterically for a minute, but he pulled himself together enough to continue.

"Like a wild animal, I leapt right at her. She screamed and ran, but I pursued her. She managed to stop me when she ran into her room and slammed the door into my face. I was making so much racket that I drew in the other researchers, including my mother. She was my next target. They eventually took me down and studied me, and they concluded that my psyche had been enormously damaged, almost to the point of no return. So they gathered a team of psychiatrists, all of which I tried to kill, and after five excruciating months, I started to come back. I still didn't trust anyone, though I _did_ stop trying to kill everyone. Instead, I took to harming myself." He pulled off his gloves, then rolled up his sleeves, showing thin white scars that weren't very visible anymore.

"It's been quite a few years, but I used to slice my wrists with knives. I was trying to regain my senses, but I felt nothing. I was truly gone for a while." Rick looked at the wounds and could almost relate.

"What happened then?"

"They had no choice but to lock me up until I stopped trying to hurt myself. I was locked in a padded room, solitary confinement, with multiples of psychiatrists, psychologists, and other doctors checking frequently on me. In the beginning, I tried to kill them all and escape. But something managed to get through and I slowly came back. Once I started to… feel again… I was finally relabeled as human. But I've never felt that way. Once I fully realized what I had tried to do, kill the remainder of my family, I knew I had to get away. The nightmares started shortly after I was released from the nuthouse, and once I saw I was scaring my sister again, I immediately packed up my stuff and ran to the docks, where I boarded a ship for Kanto. I called home and told them what I had done, then adopted my persona as Red, the Silent Loner. I became a loner because all my trust in humanity was dead, and I worried if I got close to anyone I would go back to being a wild animal." He took a deep, shuddering breath, then smiled grimly.

"Then I met Green, and something… something happened to my heart. It felt like it began to beat again. After I defeated Team Rocket, I came to realize what it was I was feeling. It was love, and the realization filled me with a warmth I hadn't known since the age of five, right at my father's murder." He looked at Green and told her

"You were the meaning of life for me. Because of you, I became more or less fully human again. If it wasn't for you, I would still be a dead puppet, always tensed and ready to kill if someone gave me a funny look." Then he looked at Rick and further explained

"Even so, I didn't risk allowing myself to become close with anyone, because even once Green brought me back to a semblance of normalcy, the terms 'friend', 'family', and potential lover were almost completely devoid of stimulation for me. That meant I would be as willing to save my friends, family and lover as I would be to kill them. The remaining human portion of me didn't want that, so I sealed myself off from everything. I had no true friends, as far as I was concerned I had no family, and I believed it would be impossible to keep a lover." Green then asked

"But if you thought you couldn't have a lover, why did you pursue me for ten years?"

"Because you were the only thing in the universe that managed to really bring me back to a humane state, and I wanted to stay that way. Luckily I didn't go back to those horrors, but my confidence in life faded every time I failed to find you, every time I met up with an evil syndicate, and after every single atrocity I witnessed. I wasn't even halfway through my Kanto reign until I believed that humans were all corrupt, and the best solution was to wipe them from the face of the earth." Rick then said

"Well that's horrible. I can understand losing faith in life, but in your own species?"

"You wouldn't understand unless you had seen the things I saw. We are a stupid, destructive species. All pokemon have special abilities; Gallade have Steadfast, Gardevoir have Trace or Synchronize… if I were to give humans a special ability, it would have to be War. That's all we do, and after being through so much of it, I've come to know that war never determines who's right; it just determines who's left afterward. Then it becomes a race to see which side can repopulate faster and gain the upper hand for the next one, which will come without fail. So you can see why I despise some humans. The only examples I've seen that defies this are infants. Those that are still dependent on their parents don't have an opportunity to cause fights, which are really just small-scale wars. Even children can create problems. Given this information of how I view life, is it really surprising that I seclude myself within an iron shell?"

"Is that necessarily fair to say, A?"

"After almost a century of seeing this, face to face, with hardly any deviation? Yes, I'd think I have the grounds to say that. Now, it's not to say that all humans act like this, but at least three quarters of our population are too stupid to realize that we're slowly destroying ourselves, and the quarter that _do _realize this can't speak loud enough to make a difference. That's one of the reasons I accepted my position; by helping pokemon, I intend to set an example, that humans can make a difference if they really want to. Of course, I meant originally to do this without taking a life, as I had done for the first part of my life. I guess I failed in that respect…"

"Sometimes your hand is forces and sometimes for the right reasons. If you have to take a life, then do so."

"Maybe… but I'm worried that if it becomes easy for me to kill, then I'll go right back to being a Shadow Human. If that happens, combined with my enhanced strength… when I originally became the Shadow Human, I laid waste the likes of which hadn't been seen since the shadow pokemon. My own strength, just like actual shadow pokemon, was increased exponentially. I can say with certainty that I know what it's like to be a shadow pokemon, and believe me, the power is unbelievable. But the feeling… the feeling is terrible. Some tiny, miniscule part of me remained fully aware of what I was doing, but I was utterly powerless to stop it. That's the true torture of it all. To see without reservation what you're doing to your friends and family, with no regard to compassion or yourself. And you can't do a damn thing but sit there and take it." Rick sighed heavily and told him firmly

"I'm not going to lie and say that I know exactly how you feel, because I don't. When I was Alpha, I knew how to control myself to a point." A responded

"And I won't say I understand what it's like to be in your position. I can't guarantee that I won't go back into Shadow Mode, but if I feel myself begin to lose it, I can just take five and cool off. That always seems to work. But I'm sure that at one point or another I'm going to completely lose it. If I could master the Shadow Mode, I might be able to put it to use. But since I'm not willing to test it at risk of life everywhere, I can't say for sure."

"So what do you intend to do?"

"Well, I need to purify the shadow pokemon as soon as possible. From personal experience, I know what they're dealing with, and it's horrible. I won't hope that I've regained your trust; I know that's going to take me a very, very long time, if even it's possible. But now you've heard my story, and I hope that it at least helps you understand why I am such a mess of a person. And if you still want me gone, I won't blame you in the slightest, but I request you allow me to finish my work with the shadow pokemon first."

"Don't worry. You're not going to be sent off. However, I don't want you yelling at my wife again."

"Alright." He turned to Alara and told her

"I'm sorry. The set of shadow attacks I had taken, coupled with the frustration I felt at making little head way, was causing me to go into Shadow Mode. I'm going to tell you all this now; if I start to get irrationally angry, or if I have a reason but am taking it too far, I'm very close to Shadow Mode. Other emotions have the chance to trigger it, namely depression and extreme anxiety, but anger will be a guaranteed ticket into it. If you see me getting to that point, try to calm me down. If it fails, lock me within the chamber I'm using to purify the shadow pokemon. It's the only safe place I've created that can hold a Shadow Being in. Though given my already monumental strength, adding the strength Shadow Mode gives me, I don't know how long it could hold out. With that in mind, get Rose and have her teleport inside. Out of all my pokemon, she's the only one who has been able to pull me out of Shadow Mode." Alara asked

"Won't she be in danger?"

"Yes, but she's had experience with this before. She might have told you that I've gone into various depressions before; what she didn't mention, at my request, is that I've fallen into Shadow Mode before. The first time, though she worked her hardest, it took her five months to get me out of it. But she's grown more experienced with the passage of time." He turned to Green and told her

"Green, I'm sorry I never told you this before. I hate this portion of my past, and I didn't want to worry you. All I care about is your safety, one reason why I insist on handling the shadow pokemon alone. Moreover, if I do fall into Shadow Mode, I don't care how you feel, you must stay away from me. For your own safety." Green nodded, at least assured in knowing what to expect, even if it was unexpected. A turned back to Rick and asked

"Is there anything else you need or want to know from me? I have no reservations in telling you now; it's really the least I can do." Rick shook his head

"I have no more questions. You can go on your way." A nodded and transformed, then said

"Again, I'm sorry about all of this. It was one secret I wanted to keep to myself if at all possible, but I see now that by doing so I place all the ones I care about at risk." He looked at Green and added

"I owe you a special night tonight. Don't let me forget. Anything." She nodded and replied

"I won't." Then A teleported and Green sighed before sitting back into the couch, saying

"What a horrible thing to go through, at such a young age."

* * *

That night, A was tossing and turning in his bed, unable to find the reprieve he usually found in sleep. In his mind's eye, he saw himself, strapped to his bed in his old home, with Cipher PEONS rifling through his things, searching for the Snag Machine that had thwarted them before. Then Lovrina entered the room through the door, holding it up and shouting

"I've got it! The idiots were hiding it in plain sight, but now it's ours." She sauntered up to him, her extraordinarily long pink hair swishing just above the floor as she did, and she told him in a sickeningly sweet and deceptively seductive voice

"Sorry, sweetie pie. You've been a real annoyance to us, but not anymore. Now that we've got this and Wes is dead, there's nothing you or your loser friends can do to stop us this time." She turned and sauntered back out, but before she left she brandished the machine over her head, saying

"I'll treasure our time together, though!" Then she called on her brother, Naps, who approached her reluctantly. She lost the sickly sweet, seductive voice, adopting a surprisingly harsher tone, and told him

"We're leaving. Set XD001 on this trash-heap." Naps appeared shocked, and he said

"But- but there're still people here, and-!" Lovrina smacked him with the Snag Machine, telling him

"Do as I tell you, or one of those colored idiots will be taking your place instead!" Naps recoiled from the blow and threat, then sighed and replied

"Yes, Miss Lovrina." He looked back at Michael, still strapped to the bed but actively struggling. His eyes couldn't be seen, but the expression on his visible face was clearly distressed. He looked around for a moment, then when he saw no one else there mouthed

"I'm sorry." He left, and Michael fought against the straps, breaking them one at a time. Then he dashed through the door, feeling some resistance but breaking through it. His mother was right there, looking worse for wear at the moment.

"Michael, what's going on?!" He turned to her, his eyes frantic, and he grabbed her shoulders, telling her

"Mom, you and the professor get out of here! I'll get Jovi!" He ran, looking very briefly in Jovi's room but not seeing her there. He ran hard, passing through the other door, feeling resistance there, too. When he got outside, he saw the sharp, deep purple bird that he feared to see again; Shadow Lugia.

* * *

A's room was noisy as could be, first with incoherent mumblings, then turned into panicked shouting, followed by the sound of ripping sheets. Green was out, having had to use the restroom before, and she heard A's shouting. She ran up to his bedroom door and knocked loudly, asking

"Michael, are you alright?" The shouts stopped, prompting Green to step away from the door. It was well she did, because a moment later, A burst through the door, (literally through it) taking Green by utter surprise.

"Michael, what the hell are you doing?!" she demanded. He looked at her, and she could see his eyes were stricken with sheer terror. He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and told her

"Mom, you and the professor get out of here! I'll get Jovi!" Green was shocked, to say the least, but before she could respond, he took off down the hall, jumping at a diagonal angle and kicking off the wall to give himself a boost. After a moment of standing there, Green heard the destruction of the back door, and she rushed to her room, threw on her translator, then urgently turned on her communicator and shouted into it.

"Is anybody there right now?! Please, answer me!" Rick was in his room, with Alara asleep, watching tv. He heard the communication coming from his communicator and replied

"This is the Warlord! What's going on?"

"Oh, thank Arceus! I don't know! I think Michael's gone crazy! Get down here as fast as you can!" Green rushed out the busted door and found A running around, screaming his head off.

* * *

Michael ran around frantically, searching for Jovi while at the same time avoiding Shadow Lugia's multiple attacks, which destroyed the Pokemon Research Lab bit by bit. He soon gave in and shouted

"JOVI! Jovi, where are you?! Speak to me!" Shadow Lugia took direct aim at him, and he hurled himself away, landing on something soft that gave resistance for a moment, then fell with him. He scrambled up and kept moving. A loud scream caught his attention, and when he looked up, he saw with horror that Jovi was trapped in Lugia's talons. Michael paled and was about to charge her, but she flew over and landed on top of the remains of the Research Lab. He drew Savior, not quite certain how the sword was with him at the moment, but glad nevertheless and shortly after Lily came up and turned him around, demanding

"Michael, what's going on with you?!" He ripped himself out of her grasp and said

"Damn it, mom! I told you to get out of here! Shadow Lugia is attacking! I'll take care of it, though. He has Jovi, but I'll get her back!" He dashed over to the elevator, which was thankfully, miraculously intact, and smashed the button for the top floor. The ride was much longer than he remembered, but he attributed that to the damage. However, when he exited, the place was no longer the same. Now a multitude of buildings were visible, with several PEONS to boot. His anger grew and he was about to attack them, but something tackled him and everything seemed to spin around him.

* * *

"JOVI! Jovi, where are you?! Speak to me!" Rick teleported to the 22nd den and when he arrived he was immediately tackled to the ground by A. Green walked up and helped him stand. Rick looked at the rampaging A and asked Green

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Green turned her frantic eyes to him and shouted out

"I don't know!" She ran up to him and whirled him around, shouting

"Michael, what's going on with you?!" A ripped himself out of her grasp and said

"Damn it, mom! I told you to get out of here! Shadow Lugia is attacking! I'll take care of it, though. He has Jovi, but I'll get her back!" He ripped Savior out of his sheath and charged into the elevator, taking himself up to the first den. Rick sweatdropped and teleported him and Green to the First Den. He then found A, grabbed him, and teleported him outside of the Sanctuary. Rick then said to A

"A, wake up!" A punched Rick away, making him land ten feet away, then shouted

"Cipher son of a bitch! What the hell did you do with my sister?!" He disappeared and reappeared in front of Rick, lifting him up by the throat and pointing Savior at the Sanctuary, growling

"Talk, Cipher scum, or your base comes down now." Rick's eyes shot open and he said

"And that's where I draw the line." Rick broke out of the hold and punched A back. Rick then grabbed his arm and flipped him. Rick looked down at him and asked

"Are you awake now?" A flipped Rick back and struck him on the head, dazing him.

"Alright, if you won't give up willingly, I've got other ways of making you talk." He dragged Rick to a rock and threw him over it, then activated Savior's fire and said

"Unless you want third degree burns where the sun don't shine, you'll tell me what I want to know. What did you do with my sister, and where are you hiding the shadow factory?" Rick teleported away and then said to himself

"Alright, looks like I'll need a little bit of help here." He then took out Avion's Titan Seal.

"Avion, help me out!" The giant bird appeared and screeched at A. A took out Ixion's seal and crushed it in his hand, telling him

"Don't let Shadow Lugia get away!" He jumped and slashed at Avion, believing him in his nightmare induced world to be the Shadow Lugia he had defeated long ago.

* * *

Once the world around him settled back into a recognizable form, Michael looked up and saw one of the colored sextuplets having a hold on him, GreeSix. His eyes widened and he punched him hard, sending him flying away. Then he said to him

"Cipher son of a bitch! What the hell did you do with my sister?!" He disappeared and reappeared in front of GreeSix, lifting him up by the throat and pointing Savior at what he recognized to be their old desert base, growling

"Talk, Cipher scum, or your base comes down now." GreeSix chuckled, then broke his hold and punched him back, grabbing his wrist and flipping him over. He loomed over him, asking snidely

"Give up?" Michael flipped GreeSix back and struck him on the head, dazing him.

"Alright, if you won't give up willingly, I've got other ways of making you talk." He dragged the sextuplet to a rock and threw him over it, then activated Savior's fire and said

"Unless you want third degree burns where the sun don't shine, you'll tell me what I want to know. What did you do with my sister, and where are you hiding the shadow factory?" GreeSix disappeared very suddenly, though he reappeared a short distance away and held up a pokeball. He appeared to crush it, and Shadow Lugia popped up again. Michael dug into his coat for a pokeball, found one, and crushed it, too. His Luxray, Ray, popped out, larger than life, and he shouted

"Don't let Shadow Lugia get away!" He jumped high and began to duel with Shadow Lugia, having lost sight of GreeSix for the moment.

* * *

Avion flew up and summoned a windstorm to stop A. A used Savior to dispel the wind, but it left him open to Rick, who tackled him and punched him in the head repeatedly. A soon started blocking the attacks, grinning and saying

"You Cipher grunts have finally stepped up your game, huh? Well then, allow me to take this to the next level." He disappeared, surprising Rick, who suddenly felt a barrage of punches. He couldn't pinpoint where they were coming from, and after a moment Avion was defeated by some invisible force, dissolving back into his seal. Rick staggered up and called on his communicator

"Guys! It's Rick...come outside the gates." The team suddenly arrived and saw A about to attack Rick. Jean caught his arm and said

"Wow...you have issues." A's eyes narrowed, and he looked at Rick and hissed

"Can't face me yourself, so you call in more of you? Bad move on your part." He grabbed Jean's wrist and began slamming him into the ground, flinging him over his head and into the lake. He drew Savior again and shouted

"Which one of you scum is next?!" A suddenly felt a tap on his back and turned around, being met by Dartz's blunt end of his spear. Dartz hit him multiple times, swept his feet, and hit him down to the ground. Dartz then said to A

"Calm down! You're doing the one thing you say you will never do." A sneered and said

"Trying to fool me, huh? Well, you Cipher scum are the worst in my book!" He swept Dartz off his own feet and kicked him in the chest, sending him off into the lake to join Jean. Then he faced Rick and shouted

"I've had enough of your games! Where's my sister?!" Rick sighed and said

"Guys, looks like we'll have to beat the hell out of him to wake him up. So let's do the family combo." Seras then said

"We'll need to find an opening first."

"I'll deal with that." Rick drew Shadowbane and transformed into his Battle Form and charged at A.

* * *

Lugia flapped her heavy wings, bringing about a large storm that Michael dispelled using Savior. GreeSix reappeared out of nowhere and began to assault him. After a few moments, Michael picked up the pattern and began to block them all. He grinned and said

"You Cipher grunts have finally stepped up your game, huh? Well then, allow me to take this to the next level." He vanished into thin air, and the world became a blur to him as he used extreme forward momentum to assault GreeSix from every angle, not leaving one place un-punched or kicked. Once Michael felt he was subdued for the moment, he dashed off to Shadow Lugia and brought Savior down her back. Lugia shrieked, then dissolved after a moment. Michael had no explanation and was quickly losing his patience.

He focused back on GreeSix and rushed to attack him, but something caught his wrist, and on inspection he saw RedSix, holding him back.

"Not on my watch, bastard." Michael glared at GreeSix and demanded

"Can't face me yourself, so you call in more of you? Bad move on your part." He grabbed RedSix's wrist and began slamming him into the ground, flinging him over his head and into the lake. He drew Savior again and shouted

"Which one of you scum is next?!" Michael suddenly felt a tap on his back and turned around, being met by PurpSix's blunt end of his spear. PurpSix hit him multiple times, swept his feet, and hit him down to the ground. He then said to Michael

"Give it up! You call us criminals, but what's that make you when you try to kill us?!" Michael sneered and replied

"Trying to fool me, huh? Well, you Cipher scum are the worst in my book!" He swept PurpSix off his own feet and kicked him in the chest, sending him off into the lake to join RedSix. Then he faced GreeSix and shouted

"I've had enough of your games! Where's my sister?!" They seemed to be speaking to each other, and soon surrounded him. GreeSix charged first with a black sword, and Michael felt a rush of energy, then began to parry the seemingly incompetent PEON with depressing ease. His mother, somehow, ran up and shouted

"Michael, stop it already!" However, he ignored her and swept GreeSix off his feet. GreeSix reappeared behind him and put him in a choke hold, shouting

"Die already!" Michael elbowed his stomach, forcing him to let go. He was tired of this, so he stepped up and raised Savior to make the final plunge, declaring

"Rot in the Distortion World, Cipher! And give my regards to Greevil while you're at it." He began the plunge but was knocked off course when a rock banged against Savior. Michael started to turn to face the threat, but another rock caught him on the temple, making him fall. Without warning, a multitude of strange attacks, not shadow attacks but something else, began to strike and push him into the air. Then, with one last super-charged punch, he was driven into the ground, and all became black.

* * *

A transformed too and began charging, parrying Shadowbane with depressing ease. Green ran up and shouted

"Michael, stop it already!" He ignored her and swept Rick off his feet. Rick faded away and then re-materialized grabbing A in a choke hold

"Damn it! Wake up!" A elbowed Rick in the stomach and shoved him to the ground, then raised Savior for the final stab.

"Rot in the Distortion World, Cipher! And give my regards to Greevil while you're at it." He began the plunge but was knocked off course when a rock banged against Savior. A started to turn to face the threat, but another rock caught him on the temple, making him fall. The team looked back and saw Green, still in the throwing position, and Jean said softly to Dartz

"Damn, I wouldn't want to make her mad." Rick got up and yelled

"Guys now!" Wayland ran forward and uppercut A into the air, Jean jumped and Blaze Kicked A, Dartz hit him with his spear, Celand hit him with a Leaf Blade, Amari hit him with an X-Scissors. Then Seras, Winston, Aleerah, Anna, Bolt, and Shadow fired special attacks at him. Sage, Gloria, and Richter jumped up and they hit him down with Megahorns and a Brave Bird. Rick turned back to his normal form and joined Lucian. They charged Focus Punches and hit A as he fell to the ground. They all stepped back and watched as Green ran forward, stumbling slightly in the crater he was in. She lifted his head up and said timidly

"Michael? Are you okay?" He didn't answer, or even move, and Rick said somewhat regretfully

"Maybe we went too far." Green leaned in and kissed him, and he stirred. Everyone watched with apprehension as Michael opened his eyes. He looked at Green and groaned

"What happened? How did I get here? And why do I feel like I was thrown into a meat grinder?" Rick said to the team

"Alright guys, go back home." Everyone left and Rick said to A

"You went crazy, attacked me and my team, threatened to destroy the Sanctuary by incinerating it. So I and my team had to use the Family Combo, a move we improvised when we were jungle to defeat strong enemies." A's face became horrified and he said

"What? I would never harm innocent civilians! That's not who I am!"

"I stopped you in time. You kept saying something about your sister, Shadow Lugia, and Cipher." The nightmare he had been suffering hit him like a bag of bricks, and he started visibly shaking. Green hugged him quickly and asked

"What's wrong, Michael?" He continued to tremble, and in a hushed voice said

"It's starting again... I thought I was finished with the nightmares, but they're back, and worse than ever..." Rick arched an eyebrow and asked

"What nightmares? Also, do I need to call Arceus to keep you under control at night now?" A shuddered and replied

"After the Shadow Incident, which nearly took my life several times, I suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I wound up scaring my sister a lot, so much that I had to be hypnotized to sleep, until I left for Kanto. Once I was out of Orre, I thought I had it licked. But I guess I'm having a relapse." He looked up at Rick and said

"We need to speak with Arceus. Maybe he can help me."

"I'll connect you to him, but you'll have to speak to him yourself." Rick then closed his eyes and opened them, exposing glowing yellow eyes. A then blanked out and found himself at the Hall of Origins. Arceus turned to him and asked

"What can I do for you, Alpha?" A fell to his knees and beseeched him.

"Arceus, I need your help. The nightmares I suffered before have returned, and I nearly destroyed the Sanctuary because of that." Arceus dipped his head and replied

"I am aware of that. I understand you seek help, but I am afraid there is no cure for you." A bent his head and replied

"Then you had best send me home, for I will not risk destroying innocent civilians." Arceus then told him

"I will not do that, for no one else can solve the issue of the shadow pokemon as you can. Besides, there might be help for you yet." A looked back up in hope, and Arceus said

"I think you will find that Green could act as a sedative for your nightmares. Perhaps you will find solace once more if you allow her to sleep with you." A sprang up, anger in his eyes as he said

"If you think I'm going to besmirch her honor-"

"Calm yourself, Alpha. I did not say to do that, merely allow her to sleep with you and calm your thoughts before you enter the realm of dreams. I understand how you feel, but you both already hold against many behaviors that you find today, yes? Why, then, do you worry about this matter? She will aid your dreams, in much the same manner that Cresselia does for others. Explain to her what I have told you and see if it works. If not, you will have to separate yourself from the Sanctuary in order to preserve life as a whole." A nodded and fell back into unconsciousness, soon reawakening. As A began to wake up, Rick asked him

"So what did Arceus say?" A hesitated, then said directly to Green

"Arceus told me there was no cure, but you would act as a sedative for me." Green tilted her head in confusion and asked

"How?" A hesitated, then turned his eyes to the ground as he reluctantly responded

"By letting you... sleep with me." Green blushed heavily and deadpanned

"Please tell me that doesn't mean what I take it to mean." A quickly shook his head and told her

"No, no, nothing like that! But Arceus told me that by having you in close proximity to me while I slept, it would calm my mind, and likely dull down the nightmares." Green hesitated, then said

"If it was anyone else but you, I would have left already." A replied

"And if it had been anyone else but you, I would never have revealed it. Be that as it may... how do you answer?" Green looked at A for a minute, then spoke hesitatingly.

"Well... if it really helps... and no one interprets it wrongly... I suppose it's at least worth a shot." A looked at Rick and said

"You understand, right? You aren't going to blow this out of proportion?" Rick shook his head

"No, I understand. However, this better work. I can't have my people be thrown into danger." A nodded in understanding and said

"If it doesn't, I'll just find a cave somewhere." Rick shrugged and replied

"Fine! I'm going back home before Alara realizes I left." He teleported back home, and A stood back up shakily, the vestiges of his waking nightmare still haunting him. He transformed and took them back to the mansion, and he saw he'd have to replace the doors he broke while in his horror-induced world. They slowly walked into his room, and A saw just how much damage he had caused in one night. He regretfully took the shredded sheets off his bed, replaced them, and allowed Green to get in first. He apprehensively joined her, making sure he never touched her in the process. Despite his trepidation, he could feel himself relaxing physically, and his raging mind quieted. But since he was still aware of all that had happened now, he curled in on himself and spoke softly to his girlfriend.

"Green… I'm sorry." She looked over at him, asking

"What for?" A took a shuddering breath, then replied dully

"If I wasn't so messed up in the head, none of this would be happening… and you wouldn't have to be dealing with me…" Green hesitated for a moment, then began to rub his back, causing him to uncoil from his fetal position. She gently hugged him, not letting go as she said

"Michael, you can't help that those criminals damaged you. I know you're not to blame for this, and with any luck, the others will see it that way, too. Just don't beat yourself up for something beyond your control, okay?" A thought silently for a few moments, then turned over and held her close, too, kissing her and saying

"Thank you. I know this must be hard on you, having to do this, but despite that you still help me. I'll never be able to thank you enough." Green blushed but accepted the thanks, then returned his kiss, saying

"Just go to sleep, okay? I'll be right here if you need me." A nodded, then asked timidly

"Can we… just stay like this? In each other's embrace? Just for a while longer?" Green smiled warmly and nuzzled against him, replying

"Sure, Michael. Just relax and let yourself drift off-" she paused when she heard light snoring, looking up to see he had already fallen asleep, though his grip around her remained tight. She grinned, then settled herself comfortably within his grasp, falling asleep herself shortly.

**And there you have it, the finale to the Nightmare Trilogy. So, as always, let me know what you think about this and have a wonderful day, afternoon, night, whatever!**


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